


Shadows Comes the Light (OLD)

by Sphynx



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Crazy idea that turned into a really awesome story, F/M, Gen, Hunted Vampires, M/M, Multi, Multiparing, Vampires, Various Parings as the story goes along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-04
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-01-07 09:41:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 64,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1118391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sphynx/pseuds/Sphynx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>STORY BEING REWRITTEN.  PLEASE FIND NEW STORY UNDER MY PROFILE.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1792: Part One

**Author's Note:**

> **Sphynx:** What started as a rather crack idea that turned into an actual plot, my roommate and I have been working on this religiously since earlier this month. This story is going to be long, guys - prepare for a ride! While the end game will be ereri, we will have multiple, multiple pairings. And one tiny surprise as we we enter the canon period :) Jump on guys, let us know your feels, and we hope you enjoy everything!
> 
>  **Jenforthewin:** Hello lovelies! I wanted to give a run down on how the chapters are going to go. Sphynx is going to be writing from Eren's point of view and I shall be writing from Levi's. Seems like teach time period is going to take 2-3 chapters, and we're each in charge of one time period so we will specify which author is writing what as it goes on but eventually I'm sure you'll get it. ANYWAY. Have fun reading and flailing. *gives kisses and puppies and chocolates or fruit, whichever you prefer*
> 
> ALSO!
> 
> you can find us on tumblr. I am JeneralGrievous and she is Websterwolf. Feel free to add us or message us or whatever, yo. <3

_1792 - London, England_

Eren can tell he is being watched. At first, he thought perhaps it was only a mirage or a figment of his imagination that he has seen over the past couple of days. A dark figure that darts in and out of the corner of his eye and disappears the moment Eren turns to see the figure closely. However, as he begins to see the figure more and more often, Eren realizes this is not something of the imagination, but an actual person that seems to be stalking him.

Tonight is no different than any other night and most certainly no different than every Wednesday night. Eren pulls on the rest of his clothing and turns to smile at the girl on the bed who is stretched out like a content cat. Her eyes meet his momentarily and she stretches once more before she sits up and moves toward the end of the bed, the closest she can get to Eren without standing up. “Will you be back next week?” she asks, her voice quiet.

Eren nods once and bends down, kissing her gently on the spot right next to her mouth. They never kiss on the lips, Zoe’s one rule in their small, strange affair. She smiles and accepts the kiss as a yes. “I’ll be back,” Eren confirms, shrugging on his coat. “Like I am every week.”

“You certainly are consistent.”

“It has become the only thing I look forward to in the week.”

Zoe raises an eyebrow ever so slightly at his comment. “You must leave a sad life, if your only joy in your week is a night with a whore.”

“You’re not a whore.” Eren mumbles, digging in his pockets for the spare change he knows he keeps there. The word was a small jab to him - yes, Zoe was a prostitute and Eren knew she sold herself to many different men in exchange for what was probably a ridiculously small amount of money. Yet, to him, she wasn’t a whore. A whore was a nasty, dirty word and not one that fit the sweet, beautiful girl that had slightly taken him under her wing and didn’t tease him for being relatively inexperienced. Eren holds out a handful of coins and Zoe takes them with a smile. He always gave her extra as he was leaving - a small secret between the two of them that had started the first time they were together. She always gave more than she should have and never asked for anything extra. Eren knew she had herself to take care of, plus the money she sent to her young son and he didn’t trust the madam to give Zoe her fair share of the money. It was their little secret.

Eren left the room and Zoe behind, nodding at the Madam and the other gentlemen who were crowding the entrance, all hoping to have even a few hours of what these girls could give them. He couldn’t help but feel ashamed each time he left - he had been raised to be better than this, Eren knew. He knew that Annie knew about the affairs (she was having them herself), but he still couldn’t help the shame. Shaking it off, Eren stepped outside and wrapped his coat around him further, trying to block out the cold.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t even see them muggers until they were straight in front of him.

Eren tensed up, assessing the situation and realizing very quickly there was no way he could get out of this without at least a fight. Slowly, Eren reached into his coat pocket and toyed with the money. “There is no need to attack,” Eren said carefully, looking at them and careful to not make any sudden movements. His entire body was telling him to attack, to bring down the men in front of him, but Eren knew there was no way he’d survive that. Slowly, he held out his hand, money clearly visible. “Just take it. This is all I have.”

“Doubt that.” A voice said from behind him, and Eren jumped. “If you can afford a whore, you have more money than you’re letting on.”

It was then that Eren felt it - that dark, overwhelming feeling that something was watching him. He knew, somewhere - that dark figure that had been stalking him for the last couple of weeks was in the background watching him. Eren barely felt the fist as it connected with his jaw and he thew a punch as well, hitting one of the men straight in the nose. They took him down easily, and made sure to pummel him into near unconsciousness. There was a sharp, stabbing pain in his side and Eren cried out loudly. Suddenly, the body on him was pushed to the side and Eren heard the sound of screaming.

“Don’t die.” A voice said very close to his ear and Eren felt something pressed against his lips, a metallic taste against his mouth. “You can’t die on me. Not yet.”

It was the last thing he heard before he drifted into unconsciousness.

 

 

* * *

 

Warmth was all Eren could feel around him. His head throbbed and he was slowly becoming aware of all of his limbs and aware of how much they ached. His eyes opened slowly, groaning with the effort. “God,” he groaned as he squinted against the light of the lamp and with the effort of sitting up. “God.”

“Are you okay?”

A voice - that voice - spoke and Eren felt a small involuntary shudder run through his body. He looked to the right and saw nothing other than a a lounging couch and a table with a lamp glowing softly. He turned his head to the left and his eyes widened slightly as they fell upon a body. A man, a young man, sat in the corner - almost in the shadows - staring intently at Eren. He was seated on a wooden chair, one leg firmly on the floor with his other leg propped up against the leg of the chair. Eren could tell he was a shorter man, judging by the length of his legs, but his height had no effect on his intimidation factor.

“Are you okay?” He spoke again, his gaze never wavering from Eren. The voice he used was soft, with a slight bit of an accent, but demanding at the same time. Eren could only stare at him for a moment before he found his own voice.

“I feel alright.” Eren said slowly, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck. “I feel as though I have been trampled by a dozen horses, but I am alive. That is more than I could have asked for.” Eren paused for a beat. “Who are you?”

There was a huff of breath from the man, so slight Eren almost could not hear it. “How do you feel? Any dizziness or light-headedness? I want to make sure you are okay.”

Eren did not miss the fact that the man completely ignored his question. Instead, he decided to answer instead of pursuing the question. “There was a slight bit of dizziness when I sat up, but I feel okay now.”

“Good.” The man stood and Eren noted he was not entirely incorrect about his height. He moved toward Eren, dark narrowed eyes scanning his eyes over his body as he took two, three steps to stand at the side of the bed. His hair was a dark black, pulled at the nape of his neck with a tied string and his narrowed, dark eyes looked intimidating from Eren’s perspective. Eren unconsciously swallowed. “You have spent the last two days unconscious and healing. I did for you what I could, but your body had to do the rest. It needed to recover.”

“What happened?”

“You were stabbed.” The man said simply. “Do not worry about the muggers now. They will not hurt anyone again. I made sure of that.”

There was a sort of darkness around his words, something Eren could not quite pick up on, but they scared him nonetheless. Still, this mysterious man had saved Eren’s life.

“Thank you.”

It was only then Eren was met with a smile. “You are welcome. I couldn’t have you dying on me, not so suddenly. After all, I never had a chance to meet you properly. I do apologize, this was not exactly how I expected our first meeting to go. I imagined it a little . . . Less frightening, on your part.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Levi.” The man said. He let out a huff of breath, sitting on the side of the bed and reaching out a hand to let a finger graze Eren’s cheek. “I wasn’t ready to lose you. Not yet.”

The finger against his cheek was cold - like ice even. Eren stared at Levi hard, his eyes wide. He could not miss that even in the dim lamplight, Levi was pale - paler than any human should be. He swallowed again. “What did you do to me?”

There was a small flinch, one Eren would have missed had he not been scrutinizing Levi so much. “I told you, I did what I could. What I had to do.”

“You don’t look old enough to be a doctor, and my wounds,” Eren reached down and placed a hand where he had felt the stabbing pain and felt nothing. No open gash, no scabs, nothing at all to indicate a knife had entered his body only two days previous. “My wounds are healed as though they have been there for years. What did you do to me?”

“I saved your life.”

“How?”

There was a small, amused laugh. “You could start by thanking me, first of all.”

“I did thank you.” Eren said, starting to become slightly annoyed. The man - no, Levi - was speaking in almost riddles. “The first thing I did was thank you, and all you have done thus far is answer all of my questions with either questions of your own, or nonsense statements that don’t mean anything. For once, just answer the damn question! How did you save my life?”

“I gave you my blood.”

Out of everything Eren had been expecting to hear, that was certainly not even on the list. He blinked at Levi before he narrowed his eyes. “You’re doing that again.”

“I assure you that I’m not speaking any riddles at you. You asked me a question and I gave a truthful answer. You should actually be honored - you’re the only person outside of my family I have ever answered honestly regarding any of this whole manner.” Levi’s eyes bored into him, as if asking him to accept this answer as truth. “I gave you what I needed to save you - my blood.”

The room fell silent as Eren stared hard at the sheets surrounding his legs, his hands idly playing with the threads of the fraying blanket. Beside him, he could hear slow, steady breathing and the seconds passed into minutes as they said nothing to one another or in general. It was Levi who broke the silence. He reached down beside the bed and pulled forth a brown bag, gently laying it on Eren’s lap. “Here. You’ll probably want something to eat - you’ve been unconscious for two days. Your body needs the nourishment.”

Eren took the bag, opening it slightly and taking a hesitant sniff. The smell of bread - fresh bread - invaded his nostrils and Eren couldn’t keep his stomach from growling at the thought. He took a bite and it was like the hunger hit him all at once. He took a large bite of the bread, reaching to the bedside table to take the wine Levi had placed there just moments ago. He took a sip and exhaled. “This is good. This is very good.”

“Thank you,” Levi said, smiling and obviously pleased. “My mother made it this morning, actually. It would be a great offense to me and to her if you hadn’t liked it.” His eyes followed Eren’s movements as he devoured the bread and continued digging in the bag. “There is also cheese in there. Please, eat some. You need the protein.”

Eren scrunched his nose without thinking. “I am not a lover of cheese, to be honest. Nothing against … well, whoever made this. It just isn’t something I care for.”

“At least take a few bites. This is French cheese - better than your English ones.” Levi poured himself a glass of wine and sniffed it, swirling the red liquid around in the goblet. “If you have never had French cheese before, this will be a treat for you.”

“I think I may have,” Eren answered honestly, taking a small bite of the cheese and finding it was actually delicious. He chewed slowly before he spoke again. “At my wedding - my wife is French. I know we had cheese at the party afterward.”

Levi went still. Completely still. He stared at Eren hard, as if staring would change the words he had just heard from Eren. Finally, he gave a small shrug as though it didn’t bother him. Eren had his doubts. “I was not aware you were married. This complicates things.”

“I haven’t been married very long, and we aren’t exactly close.” Eren said quietly. It was true - his marriage to Annie had been an arrangement that benefited both the Jaeger and Leonheart families. Having no other prospects and nothing against the pretty blonde girl who was to be his wife, Eren had agreed without much hesitation. Her family was wealthy, she was young and quite beautiful, and they would be a fantastic match. Annie had been lively during their courting, smiling and laughing as they grew to know each other, but everything had changed when they were married. For the first week after the marriage, Annie had not allowed Eren to touch her. Once the lights were off, she turned her back toward him, curled in a small ball with her body, and went to sleep.

It had been confusing for Eren, who hadn’t understood what was going on. She acted fine with him in public, but behind the closed doors of their home was a completely different story. She was quiet and she was distant, only speaking or interacting with Eren when she absolutely had to. For the most part, she kept to herself in one of the extra bedrooms, choosing to spend her time reading. Over time, she slowly allowed Eren to finally touch her, to consummate their marriage in every way, but Eren did not believe for one second that she enjoyed it. He had spoken with his friends about her behavior in their marriage bed and had returned with the same opinion each time. The way she laid there, letting him move above her and do all the work, was not normal. Most of his friends’ wives had enjoyed lovemaking - Eren didn’t understand at all why his wife didn’t.

He tried to not take it personal, but it was difficult when she wouldn’t even look at him. Eren understood that for her, this was a duty. They were expected to bear children together, to continue on the Jaeger family line and preferably soon. In a way, Eren had almost hoped a child would happen. The sooner one did, the sooner they could end anything unpleasant. It had been then Eren had turned to others - to Zoe. He had bought her for the first time, expecting something fast and quick, but it didn’t matter. For her to actually respond, to make him feel as though he wasn’t just subjecting whoever it was to torture, was all Eren wanted. He wanted to feel something, and not to feel as though his partner was only a means to an end. Luckily for him, Zoe had understood completely. She had taught him more than he had ever expected - not just about the sexual part, but also about intimacy.

Annie hadn’t been a fool, of course, and had figured it out quickly that Eren was having an affair. He remembered standing red-faced in their sitting room, head in his hands as she confronted him about it. He apologized over and over, not knowing what else to say. Her answer, however, had baffled him. He wasn’t the only one having an affair - she had been in love with a man since before they had married.

And as odd as it sounded, and Eren would never be able to explain it to anyone else as long as he lived, it actually eased things between the two of them. Because Annie was no longer their only outlet of his emotions and she no longer felt as though she had to give him what she never could, they formed a small relationship. It would never be love, and they would probably never be the best of friends, but it was better than the way they had previously ignored one another. Annie bantered with him and asked questions about his lover, and Eren returned in kind. They were as close as they ever would be, and for now, Eren could accept that.

“Close or not, your wife has to be worried for you.” Levi said quietly, taking a sip of his wine. “I can take you home.”

“No!” Eren said, a little louder than he had expected. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, shaking his head. “No, there is no need. She is out of town, visiting family.” At least, that’s what she said she was doing. Eren had to wonder if she wasn’t going to be making a side trip to see her lover. “I’m home alone for the next two weeks. I have nothing to go home to - I’m comfortable where I am. And,” Eren hesitated just slightly, feeling like a small child. “I don’t want to be alone. I hate being alone.”

“You’re not alone.” Levi said automatically, leaning closer than he ever had and Eren felt the blue-grey eyes drill into his body. He took a shuddering breath as Levi stared at him hard, one long fingered hand reaching out to rest against Eren’s leg. “You’re not alone now, and you won’t be alone. Ever.”

Eren didn’t understand what that meant. He was too tired, and he was sick of Levi only speaking in riddles. He leaned weakly against the pillows, his eyes fluttering slightly. He felt a hand against his cheek and Eren unconsciously leaned into it. “Sleep.” Levi said, his voice only but a whisper. “Sleep now. We will talk more later.”


	2. 1792: Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, everyone. It didn't want to come to me, and I had a lot of things in life pop up. Good thing is I'm already working on the next one, so it should be out sooner! Hope you enjoy the chapter! Also, if the parings throw you off (not the main one, the side parings) please note that most of the time they're just mentions! More parings will come as they move through the times!

Levi was still there when Eren woke. He had barely moved from his spot next to the bed, only now having stretched out enough to lean his legs against the foot of the bed and cover them in a blanket. He had a book in his lap, one finger resting in a bookmarked spot, but his body was leaned back against the back of the chair. His eyes were closed, and his chest did not rise and fall the way it should. Eren jolted awake at that, reaching out to touch him. His skin was ice cold and Eren shivered in response. “Levi?” He did not respond at first and Eren’s heart leapt in his chest. “Levi?!” 

Something in his voice must have finally stirred the other man, for he jumped and opened his eyes, looking around wildly. His eyes settled on Eren and he relaxed only slightly. “Eren? What is wrong?”

“You weren’t breathing.” Eren said bluntly, finding his arms were shaking just slightly with the slight terror that he had experienced. “You weren’t breathing and your skin … your skin was ice cold and pale. You looked like you were dead.” Eren took a deep breath and looked at Levi, his eyes meeting the other man’s. “Why do you always look like death?”

There was a pause before Levi answered. “Because I am technically dead.”

That was not the answer Eren had expected. He sat up more, his eyes wide and wild, his body shaking ever so slightly. Why was he shaking? Because of the excitement? Because of nerves? Or was he actually scared of Levi. No, he couldn’t be. He had only known the man for a couple of days, and only hours at that, but if Levi had wanted to kill him, Eren would already be dead. Something in him sensed he was safe, but he couldn’t explain what. He took a breath again. “What do you mean by that?”

Levi looked distressed. “I - Eren …” His voice went soft, and he looked at the floor. “I should not be here. I should not even be around you.”

Eren let out an annoyed huff of breath, moving off of the bed and cringing as he did. He hadn’t stood in almost four days and his body was letting him know about it. He let out a little moan of discomfort and looked back to see Levi’s eyebrows furrowed. “Nothing’s wrong.” Eren assured him. “My muscles are just very tense.”

“I know.” Levi replied.

Eren stretched, trying to will his muscles to move correctly. When he finally managed to loosen them up just slightly, he grabbed his pair of pants off of the floor and pulled them on. He walked toward Levi and pulled out a chair, sitting in front of him. “Okay.” Eren said. “We are going to have this conversation. You aren’t going to run from it. You’re not going to hide anything. You’ve been giving me riddles since I woke up and I think I deserve a straight answer. Please, Levi. I don’t know why you saved me, or why I’m alive, or why I am even here. But I am and it is because of you. I want to know why.”

Levi turned his head to stare at the wall in front of them, his lidded eyes seeing something far away. “Eren,” he started quietly, so soft Eren almost had to lean forward to hear him. “Do you believe in monsters?”

“Monsters?” Eren raised an eyebrow, unsure as to where this conversation was headed. He lifted one arm in a shrug, uncertain about what to say. “I believe that there are monsters, yes. Sometimes they happen to appear as humans. There is way too much violence and hurt in the world for monsters not to exist.”

Levi made a soft laugh at that. “You are certainly right.” 

“Do you believe you’re a monster?”

“I know that I am.”

Eren gave a roll of his eyes. “You’re not a monster. A monster wouldn’t go out of his way to save a dying man that he hardly knows.”

“A monster can sometimes bring up what is left of their humanity.” Levi spoke quietly, looking Eren in the eye. “You didn’t answer the question, Eren. Do you believe in monsters? Not ones that are human, but ones that are dangerous. More dangerous than you can ever imagine.”

Eren was quiet, taking a slight breath and beginning to feel slightly light headed. “I was taught stories when I was a small child. Monsters who preyed on small children for disobeying their parents and things such as that. Sometimes my sister and I were warned not to go out at night because there were things out there that could harm us. But as for believing in them? Probably not. I’ve never seen any proof that they exist.”

“They do.” Levi said, matter-of-factly. “They very much exist, Eren. There are things all around you. Things you and others humans like you never notice. You see them on the streets, you bump arms with them while purchasing from markets. We do exist and yes, we can harm you.”

“You’re telling me that you’re a monster?”

There was a slight pause before Levi answered. “Yes.”

Eren swallowed, unsure how to process this. He asked what he assumed to be the most logical question. “What are you?”

He didn’t expect Levi to answer right away. Eren was correct in this assumption and he watched as Levi’s eyes moved from his own to the ground and he shuffled a little in his seat. There were moments of silence, only punctuated by the sound of Eren’s breathing and Levi shifting in his chair. Finally, Levi spoke. “Vampyre.”

Eren’s heart skipped a beat. “A what?”

“Vampyre.” Levi’s voice was quiet as he spoke, still looking at the ground.

There was no way to reply with that - how could you reply with that? Eren stared at him with wide eyes before moving them to stare at the ground. Fear immediately washed over him - he did indeed know legends of vampyres. Men who rose from their graves at night to feed on small children and unsuspecting prey. He had heard stories of people digging up graves to find the body in different positions, or people driving stakes through the hearts of the dead to ensure they would remain that way. His father was a doctor - Eren was no stranger to weird things. Still, Levi seemed nothing like the bloated, pale, blood dripping monsters he had heard about all of his life. Eren took a breath.

Levi shifted in his seat again. “Eren, please say something.”

“A vampyre . . . Are you certain?” The question sounded stupid as it left Eren’s mouth, but there was no way he could take it back now.

There was a light chuckle. “Am I certain? Oh, I am quite certain. Trust me, Eren, this was not something I chose or even wanted. I have been cursed, you see.”

“A curse?” Eren tilted his head. “Like by a witch?” He had heard stories of witches too - of women and men (sometimes even children) being burnt at the stake for the mere suggestion they might be something unholy. His father had thought the whole thing ridiculous.

“No, nothing like that. I meant my soul is cursed.” Levi replied, but added: “That is, if I even have one.”

“Why would you not have a sou-“ 

He had not finished his sentence before Levi interrupted him. “Because I am a dark creature, Eren. God doesn’t allow dark creatures within His presence. No, I am certain that when I was turned, my soul shriveled up and went elsewhere. In return for the bite, I am doomed to live forever. I can never sleep, I can never die, and I have to kill to stay alive. I didn’t want this - I honestly don’t know who would want this. It is a miserable existence.”

Eren scooted closer in the chair he was sitting in, despite his instincts telling him to run far, far away. Levi noticed the movement and sucked in a breath, but he did not move from his position. “You don’t look like what I’ve always been told.”

“No, we usually don’t.” There was a bit of smile on Levi’s lips. “We look like humans - just paler. Honestly, there are hundreds of us walking among you every day and you would never notice it.”

“You said you could harm me.”

“I could kill you before you would even notice what was going on.”

“But you won’t. Why?”

There was a small pause. “Because I can’t. I’m drawn to you, you see. God knows why.”

A pull was the only thing Eren could describe when it came to Levi. He had felt it from the moment he woke up, from the moment he had set eyes on the smaller, dark eyed man in front of him. He took a deep breath and reached out to take Levi’s hands, hearing a hiss in response. Pure instinct was guiding his movements as he scooted close, his knees touching Levi’s. Eren noticed the other man was no longer breathing. Reaching one hand up, Eren placed it along Levi’s cheek. Dark eyes closed and he shuddered ever so lightly and Eren’s body repeated the movement. A wave of something - was it lust? - washed through him. Slowly, gently, Eren moved forward and pressed a small, chaste kiss against Levi’s lips.

Levi jerked, pulling back to stare at Eren with wide eyes and in that moment, he almost looked innocent. “Eren, what are you doing?”

He didn’t answer, not verbally anyway. Eren moved forward again, pressing his lips a little harder against Levi’s, and he felt the other man melt against him slightly. He was cold - so cold - beneath this fingers and lips, but it was almost exciting in a way. Mouths opened to one another and tongues hesitantly pressed together for the first time. It was a revelation to Eren and it hit him all at once. Had he not been busy, he was certain he would have lost his breath. It suddenly made sense why Eren had never fancied or pursed a woman and had to be forced into a marriage. It made sense why, no matter how hard he tried with his wife, there had never really been pleasure from it. Zoe was fun to be with and she made Eren feel things he had never felt before, but this was different. This wasn’t just pure instinct for the body to receive release. For the first time in his entire life, Eren wanted somebody. 

What followed was almost natural - kisses, touches, words spoken in both English and French as they moved together in unison. Levi, for all of his quietness and confidence was a little unsure about the whole situation. It was almost amusing, Eren thought (although he didn’t entertain it for long) that Levi might have been the elder of the two, but Eren had the experience. Still, being with a man was a completely different scenario than anything Eren had ever done and the feelings were just as foreign and new to him as they were to Levi. They were quiet as they moved against one another, the only sounds in the room were quiet moans and whimpers, huffs of breath against one another’s faces, lips, and shoulders. Above him, he felt Levi tense and shudder, letting out a hard breath and a moan with his release and Eren followed only moments after. 

Levi pressed small kisses along his neck and Eren felt a wave of something flow through him. Slowly, Eren removed his hands from where they had been clutching Levi’s back, and relaxed back into the mattress and covers of the bed. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before opening them, caught off guard for a moment by the sight of Levi watching him intently. “Say something.” Levi muttered.

“That . . . That was actually amazing.” The words sounded as stupid out loud as they had in his head, but Eren couldn’t take them back now. Levi gave a small amused smile and laughed, shaking his head. He pulled himself off of Eren and walked toward the bedside table, pouring water into the basin and dipping in a wash rag. He returned, cleaning Eren gently with the rag. Eren jumped at the feel of the cold water, eliciting an apology from Levi.

“I forgot the water was chilled. Forgive me.” Levi gave a small, cautious smile. “I don’t usually use water from pitchers anymore.”

“Don’t you bathe?” Eren asked, grinning to show Levi he was joking.

“Yes, but it’s usually water that’s heated by my mother.” Levi’s tone was slightly defensive, even though he gave Eren a smile back. He ran the cloth over his chest, thighs and legs, watching the way Eren’s body reacted to the touch. He muttered something under his breath.

“What did you say? It sounded French.”

There was a chuckle. “It was. I said I couldn’t believe how beautiful your body is.”

“I’m not —“

“If you say that you are not attractive, I will kick your ass.” Levi said, his eyes narrowing. He let out a sigh and put the rag on the nightstand before crawling into bed with him again. “Are you okay with this, Eren? I do not want to start something that you will just have fun with. I mean, I want you to have fun, but.” Levi took a breath. “I don’t want to be used. If you have any hesitations about this, please say them now. I know that you’re married. I know that we have a lot standing in the way of us. But I don’t want to be away from you. It sounds ridiculous.” 

“It isn’t ridiculous.” Eren said, reaching out to brush the stray hairs that were falling into Levi’s face. “There’s something that I can’t describe. There’s a pull that I’ve been feeling and it has been there since I woke up yesterday morning. I want to be around you. You should terrify me. Hell, I’m your prey. Instead it excites me. My marriage is one of convenience, Levi. We don’t love each other and we never have. Things have become better between us since I found out she was having an affair.” Eren gave a small laugh at the situation. “It honestly took the edge away from us both. We at least tolerate on another now. Annie isn’t a bad person, she just wasn’t ready to be married to me.” 

Levi narrowed his eyes. “She sounds pleasant.”

“She can be, sometimes.”

They were quiet for a moment before Eren spoke back up. “My point is, Levi, that you don’t have anything to worry about. I don’t know what this is between us . . . But I want to experience it. I want to try to make this the best it can be, and I want to be with you.”

Levi just laid there silently, not saying anything at all. Minutes stretched on and Eren began to worry, thinking maybe he had spoken out of line. It was crazy that he would want to be with this man, only knowing him just hours. But it hadn’t been hours, it had been a few days. Eren wasn’t pledging his life to him, he wasn’t asking for a marriage (not that it would have been possible for them anyway), but a relationship? That was plausible. 

“I want to be with you as well.” Levi said quietly, speaking into the darkness that filled the room. “I don’t know how to go about this, but I want it. I want you.”

Eren leaned over and pressed a kiss to his shoulder and neck, feeling the cold body shudder beneath him. “It will work.” Eren whispered into Levi’s neck.

The night was the only thing that answered him.

~


	3. 1792: Part Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you for being so patient with us and getting this fic up! It took me a long time to write this chapter because ... well, you'll see. Heartbreaking chapter - I'm sorry for giving you guys this on Valentine's Day. Still, I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to leave any comments you have either here, or you're welcome to send them to my tumblr websterwolf.tumblr.com or Jenforthewin's Tumblr: jenneralgrievous.tumblr.com. You're more than welcome to add either (or both!) of us as a friend and send as many messages as you need!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

A cold North wind blew through the small alley, causing leaves, trash and other such objects to rustle and fly around the legs of the young man standing by himself. Eren shivered and blew into his hands, his breath warming his cold fingers just slightly as he rubbed them together to keep the heat. He sighed and wrapped his arms around himself, doing a little dance to keep warm. It was ridiculous, Eren knew, to be standing here in this alley way on a cold October evening, but Levi had promised to meet him. 

It had become a ritual of theirs in the time they had known one another - almost a year now. They would meet in the alley way, one place Levi could easily access and could keep away from the eyes of possible hunters and Eren could be sure that he wouldn’t be recognized by any of his father’s patients or Annie’s aristocratic friends. Their meetings in the alley would usually turn into renting a room over night at a local inn. The look the inn keeper gave them the first time let Eren know she knew exactly what was going on. Levi had not batted an eye, simply thanking the woman for the key and began heading upstairs. Sometimes they would only be there for a few hours, and during those times they didn’t speak much - they let their bodies talk for them, and the gasps, whines, and moans were enough for Eren. Other times they would stay all night, curled together under the blankets for warmth. Eren loved those times the most.

Levi talked a lot about his childhood, how he was the youngest child of four with one older brother, Jean, and two twin sisters, Adeline and Rosette. The LaMont’s had been a substantially prominent family within the French aristocrats, but they tended to keep to themselves. He had been raised on a small farm, with lots of cattle, chicken, goats, and horses. He lit up while speaking about the horses and Eren couldn’t keep the grin off of his face as he watched Levi talk. Levi also spoke of his families’ ‘profession’ - hunting. 

“My father was raised as a hunter,” Levi explained as they lay together one evening, one hand lightly stroking Eren’s arm. “I do not mean hunting as in animals, although they were good at that as well. But hunting things like me - vampyres, witches, werewolves. We are all real, and we are all very dangerous. My grandfather taught my father how to hunt - raised him in it, actually. He knew how to shoot a gun and how to wield a sword and stab with knives before he stopped sucking his thumb. Father is very good at what he does, and he is actually known for being one of the best hunters in Europe. Father doesn’t seek the creatures out - he watches for signs of things happening. Mysterious deaths, plagues, groups of people dying for no apparent reason, those are all signs. Most of the time it means there is a clan that has gone out of control. Father raised Jean in the business as well, and the girls were taught how to defend themselves should an attack on our family ever take place. They’re both married to hunters and will probably raise their children as hunters. Well, Adeline is married with children - Rosette’s husband passed away a few years back.” The dark look that came over Levi’s face took the question (and the sympathy for the loss) straight out of Eren’s mouth. Something told Eren he didn’t want to pry into how the husband had died.

“What about you? Weren’t you raised as well?”

“No, not me. I was taught how to fight and defend myself, but I wasn’t shown how to kill a vampyre, or how to look for them. I wasn’t taken on raids. Mother wanted one child that was not a part of it. She wanted one child that she didn’t have to worry and pray for his safety and safe return when he leaves town to take care of something.” Levi gave a short snort. “Look how that turned out.”

Levi fell silent for a moment before Eren spoke up. “How were you turned?”

“A mistake.” Levi answered quickly. “I was turned because I made a very deadly mistake. A mistake that has caused my family much grief.”

That was all he would say on the matter.

A movement caught Eren’s attention from the corner of his eye and he turned to see Levi walking toward him, his hood pulled over his head to obscure his face. Eren lifted one hand that was quickly taken by Levi’s and their fingers entwined around one another. Eren let out a breathy laugh as he pulled Levi closer, leaning over to steal a quick kiss. They were careful and always had been about showing affection in public. Still, Levi leaned his forehead against Eren’s and as he spoke their lips brushed against one another. “I missed you.” Eren said quietly. 

“Me too.” was the breathy reply against his mouth. They shared another slow, sweet kiss before Levi pulled away. “I already paid for the room tonight, so all we need to do is just go up there.”

An involuntary shudder ran through Eren’s body and he nodded, taking Levi’s hand and pulling him toward the inn and in the direction of their room. Eren was pushed against the wall the minute the door closed, Levi’s mouth on his and his hands running against his sides. Eren groaned as the hands moved up to his chest, pinching and tugging on his nipples. It was something Eren had discovered aroused him beyond belief and Levi took advantage of it often. He tilted his head to the side and heard Levi’s groan in response as he kissed his way down Eren’s neck, and he felt the sharp sting of fangs lightly grazing his pulse point. 

That - that - always got them both going. Eren had learned early on that arousal brought out Levi’s fangs and in turn, his fangs and the act of feeding usually brought arousal. Eren barely felt himself being moved to the bed and the feeling of pulling Levi on top of him. They panted together after, pressing kisses against one another’s shoulders and tracing hands along every bit of skin they could find. Eren threw his head back and let out of a breath, shuddering with the feeling. He felt Levi move from him and curl against his body, pressing one small kiss to his shoulder. He licked at his neck, at the place where he had removed his fangs moments ago. They had found (through trial and error) that a lick to the spot closed the wound. Another few made it almost completely disappear. Thus far, Eren had not had anyone ask him about it. He curled into Levi’s body. “Do you feel good?” 

“Always.” Levi replied softly, turning to look at him his grey-blue eyes catching the light from the moon. 

~

There was an invitation when Eren arrived home the next morning and Annie had carefully laid it on the bedside table next to his side of the bed. He picked it up, opening it and looking at it with interest. It was an invitation to a party from a Mr. And Mrs. Emile LaMont and the name caught Eren’s eye. He looked up from the invitation to find Annie standing in the door way of their bedroom, beautiful as always, and dressed as though she were going to a social gathering for a prince rather than lounging around their home. “What is this?” he asked, waving the paper in his hand.

“It arrived yesterday.” She answered, leaning against the doorframe as she spoke. “I was not familiar with the family name, so I thought it might have been from friends of your fathers. Do you not recognize the name?”

He did, of course. It was Levi’s family name. “I know of the family,” he answered carefully. “But I do not know them personally. Do we want to make an appearance?”

Annie’s eyes lit up just slightly as she spoke, as they always did when she was invited somewhere that allowed her to show herself off. “I think we should.” She said, smiling at him. Annie paused a breath. “Eren? May I ask a question?”

Eren paused from unbuttoning his jacket and he turned to look at her, tilting his head in curiosity. “Of course.”

“This … person you’re seeing. Is this their family?”

Something in Eren’s stomach fluttered, but it wasn’t out of nervousness. They had both been open with one another’s infidelities since their affairs had begun, yet being asked so directly was something Eren still wasn’t used to. It only added to the uncomfortableness that his party happened to be of the same gender and Eren was fairly certain hers was not. Still, Eren nodded in response. “It is. Why?”

“Is there a chance I’ll see her there?”

Most likely, although it won’t be who you are expecting. “I’m fairly certain you will.”

“Hm.” Was her only response and the silence fell between them. 

“Will that be a problem?”

Annie shook her head, the blonde curls framing her facing bouncing with the movement. “I just wondered if you were going to introduce me to her, or if I should make myself discreet for the evening. She does know you’re married, right?”

“They know.” Eren said, swallowing after he did.

Her eyes narrowed some. “There’s a problem. What is it?”

“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong. I’m sorry, it just threw me off for a moment that you would even want to meet them.”

“I can not help but notice you always refer to the person as ‘they’.” 

Eren stared at her, eyes wide as he mentally tried to climb upwards from the hole he had dug into. Annie said nothing, waiting patiently with her arms crossed as he stared at her and tried to think of something he could say that would throw her from the trail. He had nothing. Eren had never been particularly good at lying and he wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to be able to talk himself out of this one. “Annie - “ He started, but he was barely able to get a word out before her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath.

“Oh my God.” She said, her blue eyes wide as she gaped at him. “Oh my God. It isn’t a her, is it?”

“Annie - “

“Is it?”

“I can explain.” Eren finished weakly.

“Is this - are you -?” Annie trailed off, clearly unable to find words for what she wanted to say. Instead, she just made gestures with her hands and stared at him expectantly. 

Sighing, Eren let his head fall. “Yes. I mean, yes to the fact is … a male.” He snapped his head up. “Annie, please do not be upset with me. I would have told you - I wanted to tell you - but I was never really certain how.”

Eren could see her trembling just slightly, although she hid it well. “Are you attracted to males?”

That was the question of the hour, wasn’t it? Eren didn’t know how to respond to that, so he gave a weak shrug instead. “I never have been before. It has only been him. I don’t even find other males attractive, to be honest.”

“What is his name?”

“Levi.”

“Ah.” She said and added nothing more.

“Annie. Please talk to me.”

Annie hesitated just briefly, a small blush tinging her cheeks pink. “The other night when we were … intimate, you started to breathe a name, but stopped yourself. I don’t even know if you knew you had done it. The name started with an ‘l’. It makes sense now.”

Eren’s face fell and he moved toward her, reaching and taking her hands in his. To his surprise, she didn’t pull away. “Annie, I am so sorry. I am so sorry if I’ve hurt you, because that was never my intention. Especially during those moments. We’re just now even beginning to … enjoy them together. I wouldn’t want to do a single that would make it anything but enjoyable and pleasurable to you.”

“You didn’t.” She said, and her smile told Eren she was telling the truth. “It hasn’t been the first time for either of us that we’ve breathed another’s name. It just made sense. I’ve been trying to think of anyone we knew together whose name started with an ‘l’. I guess it would make sense I wouldn’t know him.”

He squeezed her hands. “I’m so sorry.”

Annie shook her head. “You have nothing to apologize for. I assume I’ll be seeing him at this party?”

“I don’t know why he wouldn’t be there.” Eren replied.

Annie grinned at him, a devilish look in her eye. “Well then. I suppose I will just have to dress my best, now won’t I?

~

The party was a fancy event indeed. Although the LaMont’s had not been in England but only a few years, they had gathered a rather impressive group of acquaintances. There were people from all different types of families, some Eren recognized, but most he didn’t. He had to wonder how many in the group were fellow hunters, although Eren doubted there were many since Levi would probably be a part of this. As he and Annie arrived, a smaller woman around Annie’s height met them at the door and extended her hand. Eren kissed it gently and gave her a smile. Without even introducing herself, Eren knew immediately this had to be Levi’s mother. She was smaller than Levi, but she had the same definitions on her face, the same eyes, and the same calculating look Levi had a tendency to give. She was absolutely gorgeous.

She curtsied as Eren introduced himself and Annie and beamed at the pair of them. “Rosalind LaMont,” she said as an introduction. “My husband Èmilie is around somewhere.” Rosalind turned her head slightly to look, but gave up soon after with a shrug of her shoulders. “I always lose him at parties. He goes from guest to guest. Please, come in and make yourself at home. We have many foods and drinks. I baked most of the bread and pastries myself.”

The smell of the food hit Eren as they walked in and he took a breath, sighing. “It smells wonderful, Madam. Thank you for the invitation.”

Rosalind beamed and moved away, almost in a dance as she flitted from person to person. Annie wrapped her arm through his, smiling at guests as they passed, but sticking very close to Eren. She looked absolutely gorgeous tonight. Annie had pulled her hair up high, and let some of the tendrils fall and frame her face. She had not gone as far as the latest fashions in France (Eren had heard rumors of women with hair so high, they needed someone to walk behind to steady it.), but still higher than most of the women attending the party. Eren was not oblivious to the fact many men were staring at his wife as though she were a prize to be gained. 

Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. “See any that you like?”

Annie gave him an almost startled looked before she softened and smiled. “No. Most of the gentlemen here are older. Nothing of my type.”

Eren chuckled and lifted his head, his eyes scanning the room for any sight of Levi. There was nothing until - yes, there he was. Standing in the corner speaking with a taller man, whose light brown hair was pulled into a string at the nape of his neck. Levi’s eyes were narrowed and his jaw was clenched, a sure sign something was annoying him. Despite all of this, Eren must have reacted in some way, for Annie was tugging on his arm and giving him an amused look. “Do you see your boy?” She asked, her eyes bright and mischievous.

He nodded. “There, in the corner. The dark-haired shorter one.”

Annie blinked in surprise. “Honest? I thought you would go for the taller one.”

Eren laughed at that, shaking his head when he realized Levi had caught sight of him. His face softened instantly and he gave a surprised look at the other gentleman, who was laughing. The gentleman pushed Levi a little and Levi moved, starting to weave his way through people to get to Eren. Annie let go of Eren’s arm, smiling. “Go to him. He looks happy to see you. I will be entertaining myself with the food.”

They met together and both smiled at the same time, Levi’s hands moving as though he wanted to grasp Eren’s, but stopped himself just short of it. Instead, he folded his hands in front of him. He looked beautiful as always, dressed in a light cream colored and patterned waistcoat, black breeches and finishing with a dark blue striped velvet coat that was complete with sequins and jewels and embroidered with a metallic thread. He smiled up at Eren. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“You didn’t know I was coming?”

“Not at all. My brother, Jean - the one I was speaking with - forced me downstairs for the party this evening. It actually annoyed me, but he kept assuring me it would be worth it. I am glad to see his little bet paid off.”

Something nagged at Eren in the back of his mind and he didn’t get a chance to filter it before it came out of his mouth. “Does he know about us?”

Levi frowned. “He does. He has been tailing me, apparently. Don’t worry, Jean won’t say anything. He and I have been keeping each other’s secrets since I was small.” Levi tugged at his coat. “Come with me.”

Eren followed him through a long hallway that winded through the house. As soon as they turned a corner, Eren found himself pushed up against the wall, Levi’s lips against his. He made a small groan into the kiss and nibbled on his bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth. Levi made a small whimper and his hands found Eren’s waist, his fingers rubbing lightly at him through his clothes. “Levi,” Eren whispered, more as a warning but it came out almost like a prayer. Perhaps this was his prayer, his God. He had never found it in anything else and following religion had done nothing for him. He shook his head slightly, meaning to shake the thoughts out of his brain, but Levi stopped his movements and lifted his head.

“Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine. I was just thinking.” Eren smiled at him and leaned down to kiss him, cupping his face between his hands. Levi’s skin was cold against his hands but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered as long as they were together and nothing would ever change that.

~

It had been a shock when Annie came to him a few months later, her hand hanging as she told him she was with child. It was his, she assured him. Her lover, Bertholdt, (this was the first time Eren had learned his name) had moved away some months previous and they had not been together since. “The timing is not right for him.” Annie said, tears in her lovely blue eyes. “Eren, I am so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. Not now, especially not when you’ve finally found happiness with your lover. I did not mean to do this to you.”

He held her, whispering assurances to her that she did not ruin his life. Excited as he was for the prospect of a baby - a possible heir finally - he was terrified as well. Terrified for parenthood and terrified to let Levi know. How could he be a father to his child and a husband to it’s mother if he were sleeping around on them both? A sinking feeling took over Eren’s stomach at the realization he would have to break this off from Levi. 

Annie spoke up. “You don’t have to stop seeing him, Eren. I don’t mind if you do - I won’t hold anything against you. I’ve actually been thinking … thinking about asking if he wanted to live here, with us. I know it is unconventional, but it isn’t unheard of. Offering a friend a home and having a little extra help when the baby comes? It would allow you two to be together without sneaking around.”

Eren frowned. “I don’t think that would be the best option. Annie, you would be jealous. Don’t even try to say that you wouldn’t be.”

She shook her head, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I’m not asking you to kiss him in front of me. It would be better than you sneaking around.”

It was a thought, Eren considered. Still, this wasn’t something that was set in stone. It honestly was probably the worst idea for any of them. He told Annie he would talk to Levi about it, but in his heart, he knew he never had any intention of bringing it up.

He avoided Levi for two weeks. When Levi finally cornered him in an ally one evening, he was understandably livid. He raged and cursed at Eren, not understanding why this was happening or why Eren was ending their relationship. “You told me she wouldn’t be a problem. Even if she gave you a child, this wouldn’t be a problem. You promised me that, god damn it!”

“I’m sorry.” Was all Eren could say.

“Jean was right.” Levi muttered, his hands clenched into fists so tightly that had he been human, he would have certainly drawn blood from the pressure. “I knew this was too good to be true. I knew this was going to happen and I am a fucking idiot for not trusting my own instincts. That makes twice in my life that I’ve ruined myself.” He turned on his heel and walked away only to stop and march right back to Eren. “Actually, no. I did not ruin myself. You ruined this, Eren! With your promises and your lies and your stupid honor. Fuck your honor! I don’t want to be a part of it anymore.” At that, Levi finally turned and left. 

All Eren could do was stand there as he left, closing his eyes and giving a deep shudder.

The following month was hell in Eren’s eyes. There wasn’t a day that passed that he didn’t want Levi and even Annie caught him moping around more than once. She finally rolled over in bed one evening, staring at him intently. “Eren. You have got to talk to him. You’re miserable.”

“I’m not miserable.” Eren said, but his tone of voice was that of a dead man. He didn’t care anymore. 

“That isn’t true and you know it. Eren, please talk to him. You can’t just wait until the baby is born to be happy. You deserve to be happy. I don’t know why you are doing this to yourself.”

“I’m doing this because of you.” His tone was harsher than he expected and he saw her flinch in response. “Annie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. I really am okay, and I am excited for the baby. No matter what it’s gender, it’s going to be beautiful and it’s going to be ours.” He smiled at her. “I do miss him … but I want to be there for you as well.” 

“You are here for me. You always will be.” Annie replied softly, reaching out to cup his cheek with one soft palm. “You aren’t leaving me and I will forever be grateful for that. But I want you to be happy as well, Eren. You deserve happiness. Real happiness. Not just something you’re forcing on yourself.”

Eren leaned his forehead against hers, leaning in to kiss her on the lips softly. She made a surprised but pleased noise, looking up at him in confusion. “I am so lucky to have you, Annie. You really are the best wife any man could ever ask for.”

~

Annie was in tears when he returned from the market a few days later. She was holding a paper in her hand and covering her mouth, giving him a look of sheer distress as he walked through their front door. Eren’s heart dropped to his stomach and he went to her, taking her hands in his own. “What happened?”

“It’s Father.” She replied, swallowing and shaking the letter at him. “They arrested him.”

“Who has arrested him? What has he done?”

“Some court has arrested him, saying that he has committed crimes of treason against the country.” Annie shook her head against his shoulder, taking in a deep breath. “I don’t understand, Eren. Father has never done anything that could be considered treachery. The only thing he ever did against the country was leave it. But he was there on business and …” She gave a small sob. “I can’t lose him Eren. I can’t.”

Eren held her closely, kissing the top of her head. “We’ll think of something. Did he write to you just to tell you goodbye, or was there a request?” Annie hesitated and Eren latched on to that. “What was the request?”

“That someone come for him.” Annie whispered and immediately gripped Eren’s arms tighter. “Eren, please don’t. You don’t know the situation over there right now. There is so much unrest and terror and rumor has it they’re trying to bring down their king.” Annie’s eyes were wild, fierce. “Please don’t. Think of the baby, think of me . . . Think of Levi.”

He was thinking of them, Annie most of all. Her father had raised her by himself after her mother died in childbirth and had taught her how to be a fine young woman. If the court had him, they certainly had the wrong man in their custody and Eren would see to it that it was corrected. Perhaps a character witness would be exactly what was needed in this situation. Eren bent to kiss Annie’s cheek, ignoring her concerned face and set to work on getting to France.

The last thing Eren did was send Levi a message, asking him to meet Eren in their old spot. It was a bit of an emergency, Eren said, and he honestly wasn’t joking. He had no idea what to expect and for days Eren waited for hours in the ally, still holding out hope but realizing it was growing dimmer each day. Because of this, Eren was surprised to find Levi in their old meeting spot on the night before his departure. It had been well over a month since the last time they saw one another. He didn’t miss the widening of Levi’s eyes as he approached him or the disbelief that passed over Levi’s pale face. The disbelief quickly gave way to anger and Levi opened his mouth to speak - perhaps to give Eren a piece of his mind - but Eren cut him off. “I don’t have time to argue with you. Please just hear me out. I’m not excusing what has happened in the the past or that I’ve hurt you. I know I have and I would do anything in my power to take that away. But I’m leaving tomorrow and I don’t want to be gone thinking you hate me. Especially not if something were to happen to me.”

“Where are you going?” Levi’s voice was careful, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Eren.

“I am going to France. There has been some sort of miscommunication with my Father-in-Law and I am going as a character witness to clear things up.”

Levi’s eyes widened and a panicked expression took over his face. “Eren, no. You can’t go to France. Do you have any idea what is going on there right now?”

“I know there is unrest between the commoners and the aristocrats, but that doesn’t involve me. I’m neither French no aristocratic.” Eren gave a small chuckle while Levi frowned. Eren reached out a hand to cup Levi’s face, giving him a genuine loving smile. “Levi, there is no need to worry. I’m going to be fine. I’m only going to be gone long enough to collect my father in law and return with him to London. You’ll barely even know I’m missing.”

“I should go with you.” Levi muttered, almost to himself. 

“No.” Eren’s tone turned sharp, so sharp it actually startled Levi. Eren gave him a hard stare, hoping he was imitating the look his father used to give him when Grisha meant business. “You are not to follow me. I am not a child and you would be in far more danger than I. There are hunters who would receive a high price for your head and you would be in danger of their revolution as well. You are not to follow me, do you understand?”

Levi at first looked offended, then his expression softened slightly. He gave a sigh along with a nod, bowing his head as he replied, “I understand. Please be safe, Eren. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

As they lay together after, Eren gently stroking Levi’s hair and kissing the nape of their neck, he started talking. He told Levi about his life growing up and how he had fantastic parents, but his father was gone a lot of the time. Grisha Jaeger was one of the well known doctors in Europe and with that came many requests for his help. They spoke of Mikasa, his sister that had been adopted into the family when he was nine - they got along well, but she was very protective of him. “She can’t stand Annie,” Eren said, rolling his eyes and he felt Levi chuckle against him. It wasn’t as if Levi hadn’t heard any of these stories before; they had both talked about their lives in great detail over the course of the year they had been together. Tonight was different, however. It seemed so slow, but it felt like time was rushing and Eren had a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn’t get rid of. He swallowed.

“I want you to do something for me.” Eren said suddenly. Levi sat up against him, propping himself up on one shoulder and looking at him intently. 

“Anything.” 

“There is a prostitute that works in town,” He started slowly, and he gave Levi the name of the street. Levi nodded slowly and Eren knew he was familiar with the area - it was where he often fed. “Her name is Zoe and I have been seeing her for a little longer than I have known you. It isn’t sex or anything with us anymore, but I help her out. She has a small child that lives with her mother and she’s trying to save enough money to live on her own with her son. Zoe helped me a lot since I’ve been married and really is responsible for my discovering I do have a sex life.” Eren gave a little chuckle; Levi smiled in response. “Please continue this while I’m away? I send the money straight to her mother so I know the Madame isn’t getting any, but I will ‘buy’ her just so she has a break now and then.” He trailed off as Levi stared at him, his eyes narrowed and calculating. Eren hesitated. “What?”

Levi’s skin felt cold under his touch (nothing new) as he rubbed his hand. “You’re a good person, Eren Jaeger. There aren’t many people in this world who are willing to go out of their way to help others. Just when I think I may know everything about you, I learn something new that surprises me.” Levi leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Eren’s and letting their lips move together as he spoke. “You know, scientists say there are millions of stars in the sky and many different planets, each with their own unique atmosphere, but none of them able to sustain life. In the millions of stars and possible galaxies, there are only one of each of us. Think about that for a moment, Eren. We are the tiniest, most insignificant things in the universe when you put it to scale, but damn if we aren’t unique.” Levi closed his eyes and kissed him gently, pouring all the love and affection into the kiss. He pulled away, barely, their lips still touching. “Please don’t destroy the one named Eren.”

Eren didn’t move. “When I come back, you are coming to live with us. Annie, me, and the child. She’s offered and for once I am taking her up on the offer. We deserve to be happy together, Levi.” They breathed against one another, each one of them desperate for something they couldn’t quite put their fingers on. “You’re going to live with us and we’re going to be happy. Okay?”

He barely felt Levi nod against him. “Okay.”

~

This wasn’t how this was supposed to turn out. For once, this life had been turning the right direction, with the make up between himself and Levi, his friendship with Annie, and the baby on the way. Eren was happy for the first time in his life. He was content. This was supposed to be a quick journey to rescue his father in law from the court that had wrongfully accused him of treason - a month at the very most, travel time included. Eren was going to return home and officially start his family - parents and sister be damned.

This was not supposed to turn out like this.

Prison was uncomfortable, and the the conditions the prisoners were kept in currently were despicable to say the least. The guards and authority had no real concern for the care or well being of their captives. No, this was a temporary holding cell on the way to the guillotines; if the prisoners starved to death or caught sick in between their sentencing and beheading, it was of no concern to them. Eren shivered against the wall, huddled in a small ball with his knees pulled up to his chest. It was cold and had been raining the evening before, making the wind and temperature inside his cell downright freezing. He leaned his head against his knees, taking a deep breath to calm himself. There was nothing he could do now; what had been done was done. 

What Eren had failed to realize was in between his learning of the capture of his father in law and his arrival in Paris, the revolution had taken a nasty turn - the beheading of their king. With the king and queen taken down and no one in power, the poor, the unappreciated, and the starving peasants rose up with a confidence no one had ever seen before. If they could take down a king, there was nothing that could stand in their way. Soon, anyone found looking suspicious, rich, or perhaps had an air about them that the People didn’t like, they were taken and charged with outlandish things. Eren himself had been tried for conspiracy and treason against the country of France. His crime? Being English.

Eren had screamed until his throat bled from use. He had cried until he had no more tears left in his system. Now, the morning of his death, he sat silently, waiting to hear the bells that would signify the guards arrival to take him to his final destination. Eren supposed he should be spending these moments praying, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He had always wavered on religion in life, and he certainly wasn’t going to start making giant waves now. Still, he muttered a silent prayer to whoever or whatever was listening to take care of Annie and the baby. For them to take care of Levi. Eren’s heart clenched as he thought of Levi and his stomach felt hollow. He took a shuddering breath, knowing tears would come if he had any left.

Outside, he could hear talking, both yelling and just the low rumbles of normal conversation. He wondered what time it what, how much time he had left. There was a part of him, the part that said ‘You should have let him come’ that ate at him … but what was Levi to do? Get himself captured as well. Eren didn’t know how you killed a vampire, but he was sure it wouldn’t be something simple as a beheading. Eren lurched forward, heaving suddenly as his stomach twisted in to knots and turned inwards on itself. He panted, his eyes watering and arms shaking as he held himself above the floor.

The door opened. A guard stood in front of it, nodding his head in a gesture of ‘come on’. He paid no attention to the vomit on the floor. Eren stood shakily and followed him, watching as others started pouring out of the cells and into the common area they had gathered everyone in. Eren surveyed the room, his eyes falling on a young woman who was standing by herself, looking as frightened as a newborn. He walked toward her, pushing down every instinct of avoidance and placed an arm on her shoulder. She jumped and looked at him, her big eyes watery and her face streaked with red. “There’s no need to cry.” Eren said, gently as he could. The woman flung herself into his arms - there was no need for shame here. Not in this hour as they were all being packed into a cart that would lead them to their deaths. The girl clung to Eren’s arm as they moved, her small fingernails digging raw marks into his skin.

She told him a little about herself - she was a poor hunters daughter, charged with conspiracy and plotting against the Court. She had no one but herself; her family had long since died, and she only had one friend, a young boy from a neighboring village. “He doesn’t know of my fate.” She said sadly. 

“You’re so calm,” she mentioned as they stood in line, numbers 23 and 24, looking at each other instead of the device or the crowd of people cheering their deaths. “You act as though you aren’t scared at all.”

There was something calming about her, Eren couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He wished for a moment they had known one another previously - they probably could have been good friends. Eren reached out and took her hand, cradling it in his own as the line moved forward. “I am scared.” He admitted, his nerves feeling as though they were going to come out of his skin. “But I’m better now that you’re here. Keep your eyes on me; mind no one else.”

She shook as number 22 was called. “Will they be quick, when they -“ The girl trailed off.

Eren nodded. “They will be, they will be.”

Her number was called and Eren gave her a kiss on the cheek and one last squeeze to her hand as they led her away. He closed his eyes as the drums rolled and he heard the machine fall. Number 23.

They grabbed him by his arms, hauling Eren up the stairs. His first thought upon seeing the machine, it’s blade already bloodied with how many citizens it had killed, was to turn and flee. He was fast; he could out run all of them. There wasn’t any time for running and Eren was forced to his knees, panic overcoming him at last. Please be quick, please be quick… Eren focused his thoughts on the on Levi. On his face, on his smell, the way he laughed. God, he wished he could see him, hear him, one last time and in desperation he pushed something toward the front of his mind, calling out his name.

There was only half a second to register there had been a reply back. “Eren?”

Number 24.


	4. 1800's: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi's not doing so well on his own. That is until he meets some unlikely friends along the way. (Or: Levi is a butt and gets taken in.)
> 
> Hi. I'm Jennifer and I suck at summaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *taps microphone* Hi. Hello. This thing on? Well, the 1700s are over and we are now into the 1800s! Wooo! 
> 
> I would like to apologize GREATLY for the delay in getting this chapter up (it's been finished for over a month now.) However, I started a new job and I have also been really sick. So.. I have a good excuse, right? xD
> 
>  ** _please be gentle_** I've never written anything like this before. I've never published any fanfic I may have attempted to write before either. So.. I hope this doesn't suck. It's unbeta'd because I don't have a beta. I read it outloud to Sphynx and attempted to edit. All mistakes are mine and you may point them out if you'd like!
> 
>  **ONE LAST IMPORTANT THING** We're getting into the Eruri part of the story. I know, I know. You may be here for the Ereri. But can't we just be happy for Levi no matter who? Trust us, Eren isn't gone forever. Nor will we be in Eruriland for forever. So please just give it a shot, mmkay?! I will give you chocolates and Armin sweaters if you don't just give up cause ship changing. There will be a lot of it in this fic. C'mon. Levi is undead for a bajillion years. Eren isn't gonna be the only thing he's got going on.
> 
> NOW GO READ AND ENJOY. (jeneralgrievous on tumblr. feel free to drop me a line!)

1871 Manchester, England

New years celebrations never made sense to Levi. What was the point of celebrating another year gone by, more time lost to into the void of “remember when”. As his fangs sunk into the neck beneath his lips he thought of New Years celebrations of years long since passed, when his family was still alive, when he wasn’t alone. As blood flooded into his mouth his mind went blank, no longer plaguing him with thoughts of the past. He only thought of the rush of blood into his mouth and the velvety feel of it sliding down his throat. 

The alley way was dark, hard to find unless you knew what you were looking for, so he took his time. Keeping his prey in a sleep-like trance he continued to feed off of her, taking his time and savoring the sweet flavour. His eyes widened when no more blood came forth. He sucked again and nothing. He pulled away, “Oh no.” Panic spread throughout his veins as he turned the body over and shook the girl gently, lifting the trance as he did so. Eyes were rolled back into her skull and arms fell limply towards the ground. 

“Shit.. Shit!” Control was something he’d begun to pride himself on. He never killed when he fed, he never saw the point in it if he could feed and get enough blood and still leave the person alive. Pointless deaths made him angry and if he was in control of the situation they wouldn’t happen. He’d only ever willingly killed a handful of times in his life - they were all necessary but this.. This was bad. Having no idea what to do he gently laid the body down and closed her eyes, neatly arranging the body into what looked like a comfortable position as he gave up a small prayer to whoever was listening, hoping that they’d have pity on this pour soul. A timid woman, must have been new to her profession. She approached him on the streets and propositioned him, being hungry he accepted and led her into an alley. None of this was her fault. He hoped whoever was up there would take her in without judgement.

He fled then, moving faster than he normally would in public, angry at himself. He went back to his townhouse and immediately crawled into his bed. He did it out of habit more than anything these days, laying in bed. Sleep would never come, one of the many cons to being the living dead and something he was becoming increasingly bitter about in these years when he didn’t have much to keep him occupied. Sure he’d taken up a few hobbies here and there but even that couldn’t keep him occupied forever. The bad (and sometimes good) thing about being the living dead was that time had no meaning anymore and five minutes could feel like a decade or less than a millisecond. It was something he was still getting used to and part of him was afraid he never would.

He wasn’t even completely sure how long he’d been alone now. When his last close family member died he left London. He couldn’t bare to see the familiar sites anymore, walking along the Thames with his maman, going to the market with his siblings, nieces and nephews. He kept the house as it was, took what he needed, and fled. His family was old money, leaving his finances a nonissue and since he had no need for much in the way of material possessions he never really touched the funds. 

Laying in his bed, he pulled the covers over him tighter in an attempt to trap some heat inside his bubble to try and warm his icy skin. A dry sob escaped his throat as the air he felt was nothing but chilly. What was he doing? How had he fallen so far? He used to laugh and smile and live but now all he did was go on day to day just waiting for the next century to roll around and see what new things came of it. His family was a big one and they had jovial parties and often supped together even after his siblings had married and moved away. He stayed with his parents, of course, as he didn’t quite trust himself. Even after he was turned, his family accepted him with open arms (mostly) and now that they were gone he had a hard time allowing himself to think on those times. It hurt too much. Oh how his mother would cry if she could see him now. Broken, alone, and now apparently he was so careless he needlessly took a life. 

He continued to lay there, dry sobs racking his body, crying out for his maman for hours. Later, in the purple haze of dusk, he lay in his bed silently and motionlessly facing the window. He didn’t know how long he was like that but when he finally broke out of his daze he knew he must feed - soon. He had allowed himself to stay in a trance too long; at this point he was too weak to be picky. He rose to stand on unsteady feet and reached for his overcoat. Not bothering to change out of his dirty clothes he shrugged the overcoat on and stumbled to the door. 

Out on the streets he was a mess. Stumbling here and there, growling low under his breath when the wind would blow and he would catch whiff of the appealing scent blood gave off. Veering off into an alley he knew to be frequented by the people of the underground, the addicts, the whores, the homeless. Perfect place for him to find dinner. His body, however, had other plans. He turned the corner and his vision blurred. Confusion thrummed through his body as he felt his knees bend of their own accord. Around him the world went black and he heard a noise much like a grunt, only realizing it came from his throat seconds before he hit the ground with a resounding thud, flickering into unconsciousness. 

——————

“How is he?” A man’s voice spoke, suddenly cutting through the silence. 

“He’s much better, actually, but still weak. He hasn’t even tried to shake off my trance. Do..” The feminine voice paused. “Do you think he intended to…?”

“Do I think he had the intention to kill himself? Hmm, I’m not sure.” There was some shuffling and the sound of something scraping across the floor. A chair, maybe. “I have a feeling this wasn’t entirely intentional. However, given his state, I have a feeling he no longer has the will to live.”

“I’d have to agree, sir. In my time of tracking him to make sure he wouldn’t cause us any trouble, I only ever saw him leave his flat when he needed to feed; It seemed that he’d only leave when it got too much and he was desperate.”

“Hmm.. I see, I see. Do we know his name? Anything about him?”

Levi’s mind was slowly processing the conversation he heard going on around him. He tried to move but was unable, he felt as though he was being wrapped up in a cloud. Comfortable. He liked it here and he really never wanted to leave…

“As far as I know his name is Levi. His accent is strange, but I’m unsure as to where it would be from. Should I lift the trance?”

“Why not. He’s been resting long enough. Lift it and we shall see what unfolds.”

Levi was confused by the words before realization came as he felt the cloud wrapped around him begin to fade. He felt himself open his mouth to cry in protest but nothing came out. He wanted it to come back, he didn’t want to wake up. Slowly his head began to clear and his body became his again; he moved his arm and clenched his fist as he let out a groan. He rolled over onto his side, groaning again as he did so, and brought his hand up to rub at his eyes.

“Good morning.” The man said, his accent thick. He sounded amused and it irritated Levi.

Opening his eyes, Levi fixed them on the man sitting in the chair before him. Narrowing his eyes he sat up as the last of that lovely cloud slipped away. 

“Who are you?” His voice was hoarse and he sounded more menacing than he’d meant to.

The female stepped forward, her posture puffed up and her hazel eyes glinting dangerously. The man in the chair held a hand up.

“Olivia, that won’t be necessary. Stand down.” He smiled at Levi and nodded. “Levi, my name is Christian. Olivia found you passed out in an unsavory part of town, so she brought you back here and we’ve brought your health back up.” 

Levi just stared at him, his eyes going between Christian and the girl who had retreated to stand behind the seated man. He noted their skin, how pale it was. Christian’s smile never wavered, not speaking as he allowed Levi to process his surroundings, and Levi noticed Christian was also not breathing. Suddenly fear welled up inside him.

“Don’t come near me! Don’t touch me! You’re one of them and I.. I..”

Christian’s head tilted and his thin brows furrowed.

“Levi, of course we are. How else would we know how to nurse you back to health?” The man’s eyes softened, looking at Levi curiously.

“I..I..” Levi brought his hand up to his forehead. “I don’t know what’s going on. My brain is all..fuzzy.”

“That’s okay. You were out of it for a long time. If it’s never happened before then it may take a while for the after effects to ware off. Should I come back later?”

“No.” Levi’s voice rose up strong and echoed off the walls. “I need answers.” Levi sat up completely, folding his legs before him and sitting up perfectly straight, raising a brow as his eyes searched Christian’s face. 

Christian didn’t even flinch. He nodded his head, crossed his legs and folded his hands over his knee. 

Levi crossed his arms across his chest, pinning him down with what he hoped was an intimidating glare. 

“And answers you shall receive, of what do you wish to inquire?” The man’s eyes held an amused glint and that made Levi angry. His lip twitched into a snarl and his fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt.

“Do you find this funny? Do you do this often? Prey on the unsuspecting; bringing them into this place and then ambushing them when they’re weak? I’m at a complete disadvantage and this is not fair or funny! Wipe that smirk off of your face or I’ll take both of you down. I know how, I’ve done it before, and I’m not afraid to prove just how strong I am.”

Christian laughed at that as he once again rose his hand to keep Olivia at bay. Fists clenched, she faded into the background once more.

“Levi, there really is no need for that. We have no ill will toward you, I assure you. We merely found you on the ground and took you in to help you get better.” He furrowed his brows again, slightly, tilting his head to the side as if assessing Levi. 

Levi suddenly felt his body relax. His arms fell to his side, though he maintained his straight posture.

“How do I know that you have no intent hurt me?” Though his body felt at ease he couldn’t help but still feel a bit on edge mentally.

“Levi, if I’d wanted you harmed it would have done so already. No need to wake you up only to kill you. What kind of people do you think we are?” the question wasn’t accusatory. It was curious, almost sad.

Levi’s lips parted in surprise as the first words were spoken. He’d had a similar conversation before, only reversed. 

“How do you know I won’t kill you?”  
“If you had wanted to do that, I suspect you would have done so by now.”

He closed his eyes, willing away the imaged of messy brown hair and jade green eyes; blocking out the smile that made him feel warmth, smooth skin that slid against his. Closing his eyes, he let out a deep breath through his nose and shook his head slightly. 

“I don’t know,” Levi confessed looking down at his hands as he folded them in his lap. “I have been taught you’re all bad. All I have known is to stay away and to never trust your - our kind.” Levi looked up then, meeting Christian’s eyes. “You really don’t want me dead?”

Christian shook his head as a sad look began to grace his features, “Levi, no. How, my dear boy, do you see us? See yourself?”

“How… what?” Levi almost gaped at him. 

“You’re obviously one of us, my child. How do you see yourself? There is nothing but disgust in your eyes when you look at me. What then of yourself in the looking glass; does that same disgust reflect there? My child, how have you come to be like this?”

Levi blinked his eyes slowly, letting the questions sink in. What did he see when he saw himself in the mirror? He looked at Christian and opened his mouth to speak. 

“I..do not mean to offend you, Sir. You have taken me in and cared for me. I thank you for that, I do not mean to seem ungrateful.”

Christian sighed but smiled, “You are most welcome. I am not offended, though. Come, would you like to walk with me? Get out and go for a stroll. Maybe that would help you relax some more?” 

Levi nodded and stood, smoothing out his shirt. “That would be agreeable.”

Christian stood and as he waited he turned to the girl, “You may go for now. If I need you I shall call upon you. I do not think we have anything to worry about from him.”

Olivia eyed Levi warily but tore her eyes away and nodded her consent. “Okay, I shall do as you ask. Just know that I’ll be close by.” Christian chuckled at her and patted her shoulder affectionately.

“Of course you will be. Go, then.” She smiled at him as he shoo’d her away.

“Is she with you?” Levi was curious, he’d heard that vampires took makes but he didn’t really know what that meant or what exactly it entailed. 

“Her? Oh, heavens no!” Christian chuckled as he led him out of the room and down a small hallway, he opened a door and began to climb the steps leading up and out into the city. “She is like a daughter to me. I found her much the way we found you. I’ve since taken her in and her mate. I’ve a few others that live with me as well.” Christian looked over at him as they began to walk, the cool breeze blowing through his red hair. Levi had his hands in his pockets and kept his head down, looking up only when it was necessary. 

“When.. When you say mate, what exactly does that mean?” Levi’s voice was so small and curious, it reminded Christian of his first born son, when he’d ask about something he wasn’t sure he should be asking about. 

“Let me ask you one thing first, Levi, if I may?” 

Levi nodded, “Of course, Monsieur.”

“Just how long have you been..one of us?”

Levi scrunched his face up in thought, tilting his head and counting on his fingers.

“I was bit in 1784.. I suppose it’s been eighty-six years now, if my figures are correct. I was bitten a couple days before my 25th birthday and a month before my wedding.” Levi tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice but it seeped through anyway and dripped from each word. 

Christian frowned, shoving his hands into his pockets. “That sounds terrible.”

Again Levi nodded, “It’s over. However, in the years I was mortal I was raised in a family of vampire hunters. My father was one of the best around. My bother training under him. When I was bit everything changed. They kept me in, of course, I was the baby. My mother couldn’t.. My father wouldn’t bare to kick me out. Jean, my brother, he.. He was afraid at first but he very quickly came around. They took care of me. They taught me everything I know about what I am. Which, if I am to be honest, is nothing. I know how to feed and where. I know I cannot survive on animal blood alone, and I know that vampires do take mates but I have no idea what that means.” Levi stopped to take a breath, pausing in his steps and looking out over a park.

Christian stayed quiet, sensing that levi was not done. It sounded as if Levi had never been able to speak of this nor had wanted to. It seemed as though Levi just could not keep the words from spilling over, as if to finally be around someone like him he felt desperate to be heard. Christian walked toward the fence surrounding the park and leaned forward on his arms, watching the families milling about.

Levi mirrored his stance, taking in a breath. “My family hated my kind. I was raised to protect myself from vampires. From any kind of supernatural creature, really. I’ve never known anything but hate for vampires. They killed needlessly and they hurt my family. When I awoke, I refused to leave my room for a month. I didn’t think my sisters would want me around them, Adaline with her kids, and both of my sisters were married to hunters as well.. A family full of hate for what I had become.” 

“I can’t even imagine how that was for you, Levi. Did you leave?” Christian was honestly curious. Of all the strays he’d ever met, he’d never met one who had been allowed to stay in the family home after being bitten. 

“No.. We moved to London about five years after I turned. The other hunter families found out about me and things were starting to get bad in France. My father was given an ultimatum, kill the vampire or we burn the house down. I offered to leave and my mother wouldn’t hear of it. So.. We set off for London. I stayed there until they all died off. I’ve family still, though distant now, around but once my siblings died, I left London and I never looked back. I’ve stayed in and around Manchester for a while now.” Levi tapered off, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath.

Christian turned, leaning his back against the fence. “Vampires do indeed take mates, I am sure you know that with your Hunter knowledge. However what I am sure you do not know is how. We ourselves are not even sure. There is a physical pull. We feel it toward them whether they be vampire or human and they feel it as well. Once it has been acknowledged then you can bond and that - the bonding - is how you take a mate for life. If they are human you need only drink their blood. It seems that with two vampires you feed off of each other after feeding for yourselves. I won’t pretend to know how or why this works. Best I can tell is that the bond just forms between two that want it and it is sealed with blood.”

Levi’s eyes had opened and he was staring at Christian with eyes so wide it was almost comical. His mouth fell open and his lips moved but nothing came out, he stood up straight and brought a hand up to his chest. Christian wondered just how much time this child spent with women in his formative years. 

“I take it you have experienced this?” Christian’s lips turned up in a small smile as the watched the shorter man.

Levi’s expressive eyes immediately clouded over and his jaw clenched as he turned to face away from Christian. “I do not wish to talk about it, but yes. I suppose.”

Christian beckoned his with his hand as he moved away from the gate. They walked a few blocks in silence as the older man thought over everything Levi had told him. It was baffling that his family had allowed him to stay but Christian supposed it wasn’t altogether unheard of. Levi seemed to give away only so much as much as he was comfortable with and while Christian understood he had to admit he was very curious as to what this boy had been doing since the time of his family’s passing. However, when Christian was mortal - when he had a wife and a job and a family all his own - he was known for taking risks and that was something that had never fully gone away. They continued walking, enjoying the feeling of the sun on their skin, as Christian weighed his options.

He could take in Levi and let him join them and it could go well, or he could allow this stranger into their nest and Levi could be something completely different. He could kill for sport, he could be aggressive. However, Levi didn’t seem to be aggressive nor did he display any intent to kill for sport according to Olivia’s obserservations. Christian took a breath and clasped his hands behind his back. “Levi, would you like to stay with us. My clan? We’re very small and I have very strict rules, but I think this would be good for you. Allow me, Levi, to teach you about what you are and why it’s okay to be this way.” 

“I have been around for many, many years and I’ve learnt many things about us. I can teach you, help you. Shape you and mold you - if you will - into a man that no longer looks at himself in disgust but with pride and a zest for life he had once thought impossible. Levi, I can help you so much.” Christian stopped himself, realizing he was bordering on begging. He wasn’t sure why but his heart broke for this small man that walked with his head down and almost curled in on himself as if trying to disappear from the sight of everyone they passed as they walked. 

Levi looked at him with widened eyes before he looked back down at the ground, then suddenly looking back up at Christian with a softened, surprised expression that made him look so much younger than his years, breaking Christian’s heart even more.

“Yes. Yes I would like to stay with you.”


	5. 1800's: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi breaks my heart and then runs head first into destiny.
> 
> (I am literally shit at summaries.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI HELLO AGAIN. 
> 
> I come and bring you the second part of the 1800s. I'm so sorry this took so long and I'm so sorry I'm sorry at how slow this is going. I swear it's going to pick up next chapter. Once Erwin gets into Levi's life it's a whirlwind.. so.. yeah.
> 
> I don't really have much to say. This chapter kind of took on a life of its own and I just had to roll with it. I was not in control, but this is what happens when your muses are strong willed and don't allow you to have control.
> 
> Also, I should let you know that when we meet characters they will most likely not be anything like the characters we know in canon. Do not like that sway you! They will eventually get there, trust me my babies. I would never lead you astray.
> 
> ALSO: Christian is an original character. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about him. I was contemplating writing a small side fic about him and his past if anyone is interested. So if you are just drop a comment and let me know.
> 
> (italics are the past, btw)
> 
> Alright. Let's get on with the fic! As always you can reach me on tumblr! :D

**1872 Manchester, England**

 

Levi stood before a mirror in his bedroom, doing up the fastenings on his new vest as he got ready for the gathering he was set to attend in an hour’s time. Christian had set him up, making it to so there was no way he could refuse, claiming it was important, Christian was proud of the progress Levi had made in their time together and he felt that Levi needed to be shown off - needed to get back into the swing of things with this whole integrating into society business. Of course, Levi grumbled but he couldn’t help but feel excitement at the prospect of going to a party for the first time in many years, socialize with people again, drinking wine. Wine was definitely something he enjoyed and he was very glad that he could still enjoy it as a vampire. As he sat down to pull on his boots there came a knock at his door.

 “I’m decent, you may enter.” He called out. The door opened and Olivia poked her head in.

 “Oh! Look at you. You clean up nice.” The girl exclaimed as she came into his room, her mate Ewan following.

 “Thank you. I feel nice. I am quite fond of fashion these days, actually. I figured if I’m being forced into going to this I may as well look my best. You look stunning as well.” He smiled at her. He hair had been twisted up on her head, curls hanging down. Her dark blue gown shimmered beautifully in the light, and the make up she wore made her eyes shine 

 “Oh yes, you definitely haven’t been looking forward to this at all or anything.” Ewan spoke, a smile gracing his features. His accent had always been very thick and at first it’d taken Levi a while to understand him but these days he was fluent in understanding his friend.

 “Ah! You cannot prove anything, my good friend!” Levi laughed as he stood again. “I am innocent.”

 “Mmhm. You barely waited an hour after Christian told you that you were to go before you went out to shop, according to Viktor.” Ewan smirked as he leaned against the doorframe. Olivia leaned into him and chuckled at the two men.

 Levi scoffed as he crossed the room to his wardrobe and pulled out a brocade tailcoat. “Viktor is a liar. Never trust a word he says.” He grinned as he pulled on the tailcoat then walked back to his mirror and smoothed out his vest and straightened his ascot. “Tell Christian I am ready.”

 “You got it, Levi. See you downstairs.” It was Olivia that spoke this time, smiling brightly at him. She moved out of the room and pulled Ewan with her as she began to speak excitedly to him.

 Levi chuckled to himself as they went off, pulling a ribbon on from his desk and pulling his hair back at the nape of his neck. He looked himself over once more in the mirror then headed out his the door and down the stairs, whistling happily. He found the foyer to the house to be empty but heard the sounds of talking and laughter outside on the lawn. Letting himself out, he lightly jogged toward the carriage as Ewan helped Olivia in.  He let himself in and sat down beside Christian, smiling at him. 

 “You look very nice, Levi. I’m glad we were able to strong-arm you into this.” Christian’s tone was amused. 

 “Thank you. You look nice as well. Is that a new coat?” 

 “Hey, you never complimented my appearance! Now I feel left out.” Ewan’s voice cut in.

 “Ewan, you look positively ravishing.” Christian drawled.

 “Aye, that’s right!” 

 Olivia giggled and Levi rolled his eyes good-naturedly as he settled in for the ride.

 As the carriage pulled away and out into the road Levi could feel his mind wandering; it hardly seemed like Levi had been with this group of people for two years. There were more of them, of course, but Levi was closer with these three than the others. Christian had indeed taught Levi many things about the world of being a vampire and powers they possessed; taught him how to begin to accept himself. He was pretty sure he was still a long ways away from completely accepting himself but he could honestly say that at this point in his life that he did not hate himself. Having learned to separate himself from what had happened to him and having learned more about what he is, he’d become happier than he had in a long time. He found that, for the first time since his brother died, he actually wanted to move on and forward, he was still hesitant to go out and about and he was still much of a recluse but it was easier to get him out these days and much easier to make him laugh. He’d taken to Olivia and treated her like a sister, Ewan like a brother. 

 For the first time in so, so many years he felt he had a family with this group of ten people. Of course, there were times when he’d watch Olivia and Ewan, or a couple other vampires in the house that had mates and he’d feel that ache in his heart - that deep yearning for Eren. (Ah, how far he had come indeed! He could know think about Eren without anger or much grief.) He had wondered if that was all there was for him, maybe he’d screwed up because he had never thought to change him or hadn’t been able to keep him from dying. Christian had told him that people were reborn as themselves many years later - He’d seen his wife in many incarnations - but he wondered if he’d ever see Eren again. Levi knew he wasn’t ready to leave England in search of him - he was barely ready to leave the house to attend this function - so he had to wonder if he’d ever see him again which then lead him to the thought of would he ever meet anyone? Did he really care if he met anyone? He had his new family now and really that was all that mattered.

 “…Levi? Levi are you with us?” A small hand waved before his eyes and he jumped. “There you are! Welcome back.” Olivia giggled as Levi’s hand shot up to rest over his heart.

 “You are a devil, Olivia. You scared me!” 

 “It’s not my fault you went off into your head. What’s so good in there that you pick it over being out here with us?” Her tone was teasing but he could tell she was concerned.

 “It’s nothing mon petit, I just became lost in thought. It has, after all, been quite some time since I’ve done something like this. Especially with humans.” He smiled as he felt the carriage come to a stop. “Are we here already?” He leaned forward and pulled the curtain away from the window, taking in the large estate they’d stopped in front of. 

 “Of course! You were off in your own little world for a bit.” She paused as she smoothed out the fabric of her dress. “It’s not that far from home, anyway. Now come on, let’s go drink and make merry!” She giggled as she exited the carriage. Suddenly Levi was nervous. His fingers itched for something to do so he moved his hands up to straighten his ascot. 

 “Levi, you will be fine. Please calm down.” Christian laid a gentle hand on Levi’s shoulder, looking at him concerned. 

 “I’m trying, Christian. I really am. I.. I’m used to you and the others. This is a house full of people I do not know. A house full of people that might laugh at me. That might whisper about me. Oh, why did I bother coming? I can’t do this. Just have the driver take me home, I want to go to my room.” Levi’s pupils had dilated as his breathing came in erratic gasps, he shifted and looked around the carriage as if he were stuck in a cage.

 “I said take me home!” His voice echoed through the carriage and Christian cringed at the loudness.

 “Levi, Levi. Please, calm down. You are okay. You are safe. These people will do you no harm, I would not let that happen.” Christian leaned forward and placed his hands over Levi’s shaking ones, holding them steady. He locked eyes with the younger vampire as he spoke in soft, soothing tones. 

 “Everything okay in here??” Ewan poked his head inside, looking between the pair.

 “We are fine, I assure you. Take Olivia in and don’t worry about us. We will be a bit longer.” Christian fixed Ewan with a telling look as Levi continued to shake and stare as if neither of them were there. Used to episodes like this from Levi, Ewan gave Christian a sad smile in response as he nodded his head before disappearing with Olivia to go inside. They swayed with the carriage as it moved forward, going to park. 

 “Christian, please. Don’t do this to me.” Levi rocked back and forth a bit where he sat, looking at Christian with pleading eyes. The older man frowned and rubbed his hand on Levi’s arm in an attempt to soothe him. They sat in silence for a few moments as Levi tried to calm his breathing and shaking, Christian continuing to rub his arm soothingly. Levi had been prone to episodes like this from time to time and Christian had a lot of trial and error to find out what helped calm him. It made him grateful the boy had agreed to stay with him in the first place. He was in no shape to be living alone. He’d never actually lived alone until his family died and it seemed that happening sent Levi off the deep end. In the couple years that he’d joined their clan he had shown real progress. Once a recluse he now joined them at night for games, reading, or just sitting and playing the piano and he seemed to genuinely be enjoying himself. Christian watched him form friendships with most everyone in the clan and form close bonds with others. That all seemed to change, though, when it came to leaving the house. In the beginning they couldn’t get him to leave even his room, he’d throw a fit or lock and barricade the door. Eventually Christian told everyone to just ignore him, treat him like a cat and let him get used to them - let him come out of his own accord and not because he felt he should. It took a few weeks but, lo and behold, one night as they sat down to play a card game they were joined by the young vampire. No one said anything, they just simply acted as if he had been there every night and let him join in the games. Keeping that up, Levi eventually got bold enough to seek out people when they were else where in the house, to make friends. Christian swelled with pride the first time Levi suggested they go out of the house and to the market. 

 They’d got ready and had someone bring a carriage around and the whole time Levi seemed calm and collected, even excited. Though, looking back Christian could see the the excitement was really just nervousness. They managed to make it down the road before Levi had a fit and demanded to go back home. At first he thought it was just a fluke, Levi was just nervous to be out and about again for the first time in ages, they’d try again and he’d be okay. It turned out to be much more difficult than that. Only in recent months had Levi been making trips outside the home on a regular basis and because he wanted to. Christian had been proud of this development, so when an invitation from the Smith’s showed up in his post he figured this would be as good a time as any to immerse him back into the land of the living. The Smith’s were a prominent family in Manchester and often threw lavish parties every few months to celebrate one thing or the other. They also happened to be Christian’s main contact in getting falsified identification documents for he and his fellow vampires. Many vampire clans in the area knew of the Smith’s and often used their services, which usually earned them an invitation to a party. Christian was always invited, though, and he didn’t need an invitation to tell him of it. Christian had been working with the Smith family since they settled in England, he had known them - or the current Smith’s ancestors - when he himself was mortal. They had taken him in when his family had abandoned him after the bite. He in turn had stayed loyal to the family and helped them, generation after generation, to become the prominent family that they now were. They in turn had taken to falsifying documents for him and that eventually turned into a full time side business for Mr. Smith and his eldest son, Andrew. 

 Christian, now, was wondering if he should have even suggested this. Levi was a fragile creature but was so well at hiding it that sometimes he forgot and pushed the younger vampire too far. He watched as the young man before him took deep breaths and rubbed his shaking hands over his knees. There soon came the faint sound of counting in French, the naming off of days of the week in German, and more French. Used to this by now, Christian joined him, still speaking low and watching Levi closely. A few more minutes passed and the speaking ceased. Christian felt the shaking calm and watched as Levi’s eyes opened.  Levi took one last deep breath and moved to sit up straight. 

 “Oh how.. How embarrassing.” Levi forced a smile and a chuckle. 

 “You don’t have to put on a mask with me, Levi. No one but Ewan and I know what’s going on. Take all the time you need, we can go in when you are read and only when you are ready.” Christian felt the other vampire tense, “If you ever become ready that is. If this is honestly too much for you then I can have the driver take you home at any moment. Just say the word.” 

 Levi visibly relaxed as Christian spoke, looking out the window of the carriage and heaving a heavy sigh. “I am a disappointment. Why do you even keep me around?” 

 Christian furrowed his brow and shook his head, “Levi, dear boy, why would you ever say such things. You know why I keep you around. You’re like a son to me.” Levi shook his head slightly, his expression one of disbelief, “Don’t look at me that way, Levi. I have never lied to you and I do not plan on beginning now. You’ve made so much progress! You have to remember that anytime you have an episode like this. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for.” Christian smiled softly at him and leaned forward to pat his shoulder. He felt, more than saw, Levi relax a little. His eyes drooping a little and his head bowing infinitesimally.

 “Then I’m going to do this. I have to do this, Christian. I owe it to you, to myself.” Levi straightened his posture once more, taking on an air of determination.

 “No,” Christian corrected, “You needn’t do anything for me, only for yourself. Promise me that if you step foot out of the carriage it will be for yourself and for no other.”

 Levi stared at him for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought, before nodding sharply and sucking in a breath. “Okay, okay. I promise. I’m going to do this because I want to. I want wine and behind those doors are the finest selections of wine England has to offer. Which better be damn worth it.” Christian laughed, happy to see Levi coming to this decision himself. 

 “Yes, quite right you are. Wine. All you can drink. Fountains of the stuff.” Christian grinned as Levi laughed and reached a hand up to adjust his ascot. 

 “Alright. I can do this.”

 “Let’s go, then.” Christian opened the door and both men exited the carriage.

 ~

The party was the very definition of  elegance. Women wore their best dresses and men wore their best suits, a quartet of strings played in the corner of what appeared to be a ball room. All about many people milled here and there, talking and laughing, drinking flutes of champagne or glasses of wine. Cigar smoke wafted in the air and Levi wandered around the big estate. They party was held in the main room with the string players and the grand floor for dancing, a grand chandelier hung in the center of the room and glittered beautifully. To the left there was a smaller room filled with tables weighed down with various finger foods, both savory and sweet alike. A door way from that room led you into the foyer, a wide open and bright room with a large staircase winding upwards and into other wings of the house. Levi stopped one of the people walking around with trays of wine and grabbed a glass. He thanked them with a nod and a small smile and swirled the liquid in the glass. Taking a sniff of it, he decided it might not be bad and was happy to have his suspicions confirmed as he sipped. He’d spent a little bit of time exploring what he could of the house, admiring all the art that adorned the walls, the intricate carvings in the wood of the stairs, or mantels, and even the tables. 

 He’d run into a few vampires and had chatted with them. He was amazed at how friendly they all were and kept having to remind himself that they were not feral clans or an angry group of vampires hell bent on destruction like the ones he’d known when his father and brother were alive and hunting. These vampires were ones that wished to live out their lives as normal humans. As people with jobs and families, people that loved, that contributed to society, voted, paid taxes. They were normal just like him. It troubled him more and more, as he spoke with them, the number of these creatures his family had killed. Had they been like these vampires? Had they lived and loved as these are? What then did that say of his father and brother? Were they heartless, or had they simply just been doing what they thought was right? The thoughts plagued his mind as he wandered back into the room with tables of food. Sipping his wine he maneuvered his way through the thongs of people, not really paying attention to where he was going.

 His thoughts kept going back to his brother and father, their profession, their passion for what they did. Surely they could not be faulted for believing what they knew, for standing up for what they thought was right. At the time there were more ferals than there were now and how could he fault them for ridding the world of them, but he very much remembered a time when Jean killed a vampire and its mate had been present. The mate went into quite a state of fury; crying out and striking blindly at anything near it before it gave up and laid down before Jean, begging to be killed. How had they not realized then that vampires had emotions? That they felt things just as humans did? Once they moved to England they hunted a lot less but they still did it. Levi had even joined them a couple times after Jean had finally convinced Émile that he was capable. Levi himself had killed a few of his brethren (could he even call them that?) in the heat of the moment. In one instance, Jean had his back turned and the vampire saw it as the perfect moment to strike. The vampire had come up quickly from behind and grabbed Jean, gripping his hair and yanking his head back as he bared his fangs. Levi launched himself onto the vampire and quickly snapped its neck without a second thought, growling ferociously at any others that came near. 

 Though his family had good intentions, the tended to keep him cooped up in the house. They wanted him safe from other hunters. Though he was allowed out, he always had to have someone with him. Most of the time he just stayed in, making a world all his own in his room. He felt something though, a pull, a need to be around ones like him. To be around those who knew how he felt late at night when the world slept and he paced the floor restlessly. Jean had been insanely against it, as had his father. However, Levi stole away into the night, not long after Eren had died, and went for a walk hoping to find someone - anyone - to talk to. He succeeded in finding someone - a girl stuck at the age of twenty-one - and they hit it off. She had been bit against her will and was alone, trying to find her way. Levi wanted to help and even told her his story. They talked all through the night and well into the next morning and afternoon. When he got home his mother and father we waiting for him, angry and anxious. Jean had been there too, as his parents always called upon Jean when they had a problem with Levi. Most of the time Jean was the only one that could make him see reason. 

 " _Where have you been??” His mother was visibly upset, running her slim fingers through her hair._

_“Out.” He was not in the mood for this._

_“Levi! Answer me!” Émile came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder._

_“Levi, please answer your mother.” His fathers voice was firm. Jean stood behind them with his arms crossed over his chest leaning against the wall. He looked at Levi with an exasperated expression._

_“I went for a walk. I was restless. I needed out of the house!”_

_“You know better than that, Levi! You could have been killed!”_

_“But I wasn’t! I met someone, someone like me!”_

_The atmosphere in the room instantly changed._

_“You what?” It was Jean that had spoken._

_“I met someone. Another vampire. She was young and alone, I wanted to help her.”_

_“….Levi. Please tell me you’re joking.”_

_“I was raised not to lie.”_

 At that point Jean and Émile began to talk over each other, yelling at Levi for doing such a foolish and reckless thing. How dare he do this, how dare he put himself into such danger. They’d warned him of this! Don’t talk to strangers, don’t walk into danger. Levi stood and listened as they chastised him for speaking with another vampire without knowing anything about them, about going out without a chaperone. With each word his heart broke even more. He felt his body begin to shake, felt his veins light up with anger. With each word out of their mouth Levi was pushed closer and closer to his breaking point. He was thankful, for once, that he was a vampire and was unable to produce tears, for surely if he had been human he would be crying by now. 

  _“Just STOP!” Levi had never yelled in anger in his life. Both Émile and Jean stopped suddenly, staring at Levi with wide eyes._

_“Just stop! Say not another word! Don’t you understand?! I am a grown man! I am a vampire, don’t you remember? I can protect myself - I know how - and I am fully capable of making decisions of who to talk to or not! Do you not understand that each time you speak out against vampires you speak out against me?! Each time you call them dangerous, you call me dangerous. Everything you say against them goes against me! I am just like them!” He paused then, taking unnecessary breaths in an attempt to calm himself._

_“Levi, it’s not like that. You know this…” Jean’s tone was cautious._

_“No!! It’s not! You can’t hate what I am yet love me! It’s hypocritical. Am I not the same as them? Do I not need blood to survive as well? I kill just as much as they do, I hunt, I prey on the weak and the dying. I am no better than they are and yet you act as if this is not a fact. When will you wake up and accept that this is what I am!? I cannot help it! I did not ask for this and yet you all punish me every moment for this!”_

 That had shocked them. Shocked them straight to the core. Jean, a few weeks later, announced he was no longer going to hunt. Émile retired from it as well. Émile never brought up that conversation again but showed Levi through his actions that he had heard loud and clear. Jean, however, spoke to Levi about it often, apologizing and begging forgiveness. It had continued to hurt Levi for a while but he couldn’t completely blame them. They had all been raised in the hunter mentality. No one ever expected to have a member of the family to join the legions of the undead.

 Levi was so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t realized that he’d crossed over into the ball room and had neared a table laden with flutes of champagne. He shrugged and grabbed one, setting his empty wine glass down. He downed the champagne in one gulp, trying to wash away his mounting anxiety due to the path his thoughts had taken. Grabbing another flute he turned around and slammed face first into a firm, solid form, causing the champagne to spill down his vest.

 “What.. I..? What did I just run into?” Levi looked up at the man that spoke. He was tall, insanely so, and so very blonde. His bright blue eyes clouded, most likely with alcohol. He was getting more and more annoyed by the moment as the man kept looking about for whatever he had run into.

 “Excuse you. I was standing here.” Levi made sure to let as much annoyance as he could seep into his voice.

 At the sound the man looked down and immediately grinned in amusement.

 “Oh! Well then. Hello down there!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOMEN I HAD TO LEAVE IT OFF THERE. 
> 
> But i promise that there will be so much Erwin in the next chapter you won't even be able to shake a stick because there will be so many Erwins! :D


	6. 1800's: Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi being a diva & then some Erwin and Levi interaction. Put on your reading glasses and grab your tea. We've an adventure to adventure!
> 
> c'est vraiment magnifique.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour! How are you my little lovlies?! I would like to take this moment to APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY FOR HOW LONG THIS TOOK. I've been having a lot of issues and shit, and landed myself in the hospital the other night (which is when this was supposed to go up originally) and I was kind discouraged before that so it was taking me a little longer to write than it normally would.
> 
> So, this is kind of a long update? But it's not horribly long. I hope you all enjoy it because I'm proud of it and I'm owning it and I love it. As always it's unbeta'd and is only looked over by me reading it outloud. Please excuse all mistakes. 
> 
> Also.. this is kind of a touchy subject for me but after mulling over it for a while I would like to adress something. *clears throat* If you aren't a fan of the Eruri, that's fine, I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's pretty much necessary for this part in Levi's life. Trust me. I'm one of the creators of this little universe and I know my character. Erwin is good for him right now. Don't worry though - this is the *ONLY* Eruri in the story. I promise. There might be mentions of other pairings but they should just be mentions. Levi and Eren are destined to be together. It's written in his VAMPIRE DNAAAAA. Please just hold on a couple more chapters. 
> 
> I'm pretty sure there should ONLY be 2-3 chapters left in this. I DID NOT MEAN FOR IT TO TAKE THIS LONG but fuck. I'm not sorry.
> 
> The 1940s part being written by my coauthor already has one chapter done! And I'm almost halfway done with the next chapter.. so.. we're getting the ball rolling!
> 
> As always tracking tumblr tag fic: sctl Fic: shadows comes the light and i'm there as JeneralGrievous.

“Oh, well then! Hello down there.” The taller man’s speech was slurred and his grin a bit too wide for Levi’s liking. The man smelt of alcohol and Levi was not amused at the jab toward his height; he knew he was short and he did not ever need to be reminded.

“Excusez-moi,” Levi barely managed to keep the edge of annoyance of his voice. “Maybe you should watch where you step.”

“Many apologies, sir. However, even if I had been watching I am not so sure that I would have spotted you.” The man chuckled and the sound was rich and warm; it was smooth and deep. Levi immediately hated it and the man producing the sound. His fingers twitched and his hands balled into fists.

Narrowing his eyes, Levi tilted his head to the side and took the man in. His clothing was casual, much too casual for the tone of the evening. Surely this man must be the help? His boots looked like riding boots and they had mud caked on the bottom. Levi shuddered, thinking of all the places this horrible creature must have tracked mud.

“I should ‘ave you kicked out of ‘ere for insulting me as you ‘ave!” Levi fired off, his accent wrapping around each word, his fists shaking beside him. 

The other man laughed as another man emerged from the crowd to come stand with him. “Look at this, Nile!” The blond elbowed his friend and nodded toward Levi. “A short angry Frenchman! Good thing we made top marks in History and know how to deal with those types.” The two men burst into laughter, Nile wiping tears of laughter away from his eyes. 

“Erwin, quite your laughter, lest your mother hear you and hunt you down. She’ll make you change then start making pleasantries with the guests.” Nile wheezed, as he coughed away his laughter, standing up a bit more straight. Erwin did as well, his laughter dying down as his eyes darted around. It suddenly dawned on Levi who this was. The Smith’s had two sons. He’d met one already, and this Erwin must be the second. Levi was still fuming with anger as he watched the two men grabbed flutes of champagne from trays and snagged some sweets from the tables.

“Ah, it all makes sense now. Why you’re so massive that is. Your brain is so small your body ‘ad to make up for it somehow. So you were made you a giant insufferable brute so you’d have at least some chance of survival.” Erwin stopped, an amused twinkle in his bright blue eyes. Levi, however, was not finished. Crossing his arms, he took in a breath and started again.

“In fact, I heard you mention your mother? How proud she must be of you!” Levi paused to laugh a fake laugh, mocking the two men. “Surely you bring such honor to her, being drunk and harassing the guests! A man of such class. I’ll bet she stops random strangers on the street just to regale them with tales of her perfect, precious baby son.”

The moment Levi mentioned his mother Erwin’s demeanor changed. His eyes narrowed as his hands fell to his sides, clenching into fists.

“Do not speak to me of my relationship with my mother. You know nothing about it.” His voice was low, sharp. Dangerous. Nile reached a hand out and placed it on his friend’s shoulder in an attempt to calm or comfort. 

Levi laughed a real laugh at that, throwing his head back. He regained his composure a moment later and pinned Erwin down with a glare that would have set hell even more on fire. “See ‘ow it feels to be mocked for something you are sensitive about? Do not ever insult me again, Monsieur, and remember in the future to think before you open your mouth.”

Nile paled and Erwin flinched at the venom in Levi’s voice, neither trying to stop him as he turned on his heels and walked away. 

“Hey, you alright?” Nile spoke, but Erwin couldn’t respond. He was too busy watching after the smaller man as he disappeared, a thoughtful expression gracing his features.

“I’m not sure.” Erwin drawled, his eyes never leaving the still retreating form of Levi, curiosity and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on, something new and compelling, buzzed beneath his skin. “Who is that man?” 

—————————

“The audacity of that..that…!” Levi paused in his rant, unable to think of a word. They’d left the party around midnight and from the moment they’d all entered the carriage Levi had done nothing but rant about Erwin and his insults. He’d recounted the stories no less than three times, his hands flying wilding in the air as his voice steadily rose. They listened the first time, expressing their outrage at all the right moments and interjecting with comments here and there, but the longer he went on the more Olivia grew annoyed and by default, so did Ewan. 

Aside from the incident with Erwin the whole evening was a success in terms of Levi. He now had identification and had made a few new friends (both vampire and human), he’d even met the Smith’s and he liked them. He just couldn’t let what happened go. Everyone in the carriage wished he would dwell on it a little more quietly.

“Levi, do try and calm yourself. I’ve known Erwin his whole life and this is extremely unlike him., try and go easy on him. Knowing him it’s has been..a bad day.” At the murderous look on Levi’s face Christian paused and raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I am not saying that excuses him! Not at all! What he did was wrong and he should definitely apologize, but Levi, try to think about what he kind of day or even week he may have had?”

“No! I will not! I don’t care what kind of day you’ve had, that does not give you an excuse to act as he did! That was humiliating!” Levi’s voice had reached level of loudness they’d never heard from him before. Everyone in the carriage cringed and glared at him. “Levi, inside voice!” They all chimed.

Levi at least had the decency to look sheepish as he squeaked out a small sorry. The rest of the carriage ride was silent. Upon arrival at their estate they bid each other goodnight and went into their separate rooms.

Levi undressed, untying his hair and folding his clothes back up neatly to put them away, changing into more comfortable clothes then settled into his bed with a couple of books to keep him company. As he opened the first book there came a knock at his door. He sat up, closing the book on his finger, “Come in.”

The door opened and Christian poked his head in. “Am I bothering you?”

“No, not at all. Please, come in.” Levi smiled at him as he sat up straighter.

Christian entered the room, closing the door softly behind him. He moved to sit in the wing backed chair near Levi’s bed, smiling at the younger man. “Levi.. You did exceptional tonight. I really want you to know that I am proud of you and your progress.” A soft smile graced Christian’s face. Levi positively beamed at him, leaning forward.

“I’m proud of myself! Even with … the incident, I did not let it ruin my night! No one else was terrible to me and just because one person is an ass does not mean everyone is. I kept that in mind, you’ve said it before. Christian, I even had fun!” The older vampire chuckled as Levi went on, his hands flailing wildly and his expression one of childlike joy. 

“I’m so glad, Levi. I really am. Even Ewan said he saw you approaching people on your own and striking up conversations. That’s amazing. I know this does not mean you won’t have issues with this still in the future, but you conquered tonight and that is a huge milestone. One deserving of praise.” Christian leaned forward and ruffled Levi’s hair, grinning with affection. Levi laughed and pulled away, smoothing his hair back down. 

“Thank you, so much. I do not expect to be cured, not at all, but something about just being there. Once I got done with Erwin I felt I had enough courage to make friends. If I could deal with the likes of him and live to tell the tale, then what else could I do, you know? I know I will still have my reservations, I’m nervous about going to another function like that just thinking about it. At least now I know I can do it though, so if I have another episode like I did when we arrived I can repeat that to myself as well. I’ve done it before and I can do it again.”

“I think I’d like to do it again at some point, Christian. Not any time soon, mind you, I need to recover from this. I feel mentally drained. This is what I remember tired to feel like. I don’t like it, so.. I think I should take some time before doing something this big again.”

“No, no. Don’t worry about that, piccolo gatto. I will not push you further than you can go, you know this.” Christian smiled before smoothing his face into a more serious expression as he folded his hands in his lap. Had he been able to, Levi would have paled. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, sitting up straighter. 

“Am I in trouble?” The look on Levi’s face made Christian stifle a laugh. His eyes were wide, brows almost disappearing into his hair, and his lips formed a small ‘O’.

“Oh, no! Not at all! I just..wish to speak with you about Erwin.”

Levi’s face immediately turned to one of annoyance and he crossed his arms over his chest. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath through his nose. “I do not wish to discuss him any longer. I know everything I need to just from our encounter.”

“Ah, but you don’t. Levi, I’ve known him since he was born. I’ve seen many things that went into his upbringing and … I think I may be able to give you some insight.”

“His parents seemed like perfectly polite people, how in the world did they raise such a disrespectful urchin?” The older man frowned deeply and leaned forward a bit as he thought about how to approach the topic.

“Erwin.. He’s..complicated, Levi. He hasn’t had the best time grown up in that house.” Christian paused and scratched beneath his chin. “His parents.. They.. They’ve treated him differently because they felt he was too soft, too tender, to be a real man.”

“They denied him affection a lot of the times. He had to find it elsewhere and a lot of times he found that in his friends or even in alcohol. I know he was drunk tonight and I guarantee it was because he had to be in that house. He does not get on well with his parents, Levi. I am not trying to excuse anything he said or did, so please do not take it that way. I just want you to maybe see it a different way. Have you even been so uncomfortable with a situation that you’ve maybe lashed out at an innocent just because they were there and it was easy? Because it may have made you feel a little better about yourself? Erwin has grown up having to fend for himself because that’s how men are made, according to his father. When he was sixteen he moved in with his drunkard of an uncle just to get away from his mother and father.”

Levi furrowed his brow as Christian spoke. This type of family life, it made no sense to Levi. His family had always been very, very close. Even when he had been turned they all remained close, banding together to figure out how to care for a vampire. Hearing of parents that couldn’t care less about their child, well, that just broke his heart. He felt for Erwin and the neglect he must have suffered at the hands of these deceptively nice people. He wondered, then, how those people he met earlier in the night could be so heartless. Maybe Christian was exaggerating, though why would he when he’s never lied or stretched the truth to Levi before. 

“I won’t go into details, that’s not my place, just know that Erwin may have been in a bad place last night. Knowing him, he’ll come round to apologize once he figures out who you are and who you live with. He knows better than to treat any of my family with that kind of disrespect, so I’d expect a him to call on your within the next couple of days.” Again Levi made a face at his words.

“Will I have to receive him?” He knew he sounded petulant but he just couldn’t bring himself to care. 

“Levi, really?” Levi could pick up the tone of annoyance in Christian’s words but that only made him more resolute than ever.

“Yes really!” He picked up his book again, not caring if he was being rude, and opened to the spot he’d marked. “I do not wish to see him. That is all. You may go.”

————

“I told you, I do not wish to see him! What language do I need to speak for this to sink in!?” Levi growled out, going on to say the same sentence is several different languages. “There! Did one of them stick or should I get the damn royal family to write up a letter and stamp it?!” Olivia stood in the doorway of his room, completely unfazed by his little fit. Erwin had been by everyday during the week and each time he showed up it made Levi more and more annoyed. It was now Saturday and Levi was positively beside himself with rage. “Tell him I’m dead! Tell him I moved to the moon, tell him whatever the hell you have to tell him to get. Him. Away. From. Me!”

“He can’t be that bad, Levi. He wants to apologize and he’s been trying so hard. I think you’re being a little unreasonable.” Olivia was actually beginning to feel sorry for Erwin. He really did seem genuine and today he’d come out in the cold rain. 

“I didn’t ask you what you thought!” Levi screeched. He knew he should at least let Erwin apologize but, truth be told, he was embarrassed. He was embarrassed and all he wanted to do was forget anything ever happened but Erwin was apparently going to do everything in his power to make sure Levi remembered until the world ended. 

“Levi, please just see him. It’ll take two minutes and then you can be done with the whole thing. Your mother raised you with more respect than this, I guarantee it.” Christian spoke, seeming to appear out of thin air. If Levi was surprised he didn’t show it. “This is getting beyond ridiculous, Levi.”

Levi bristled at the mention of his mother and even more knowing that Christian was right. He clenched and unclenched his hands into fits at his sides and inhaled deeply through his nose. With a glare at Christian, Levi pushed his way out of his room not caring who he slammed his shoulder into on his way out.

“Is he really going down there? Wow, Christian. You’re a miracle worker.” Olivia blinked as she watched Levi stomp down the hall and toward the stairs.

“I have my ways. Bringing up the mother always seems to work.” Christian murmured.

“I can fucking hear you both, you uncultured swine!” Came the angered reply.

*~*

Levi didn’t bother to make sure he looked presentable before he went down to meet Erwin. He wore no shoes and his shirt was untucked, his hair hanging loosely about his face. He wanted to give off the impression that he couldn’t care less if he tried. Erwin on the other hand, looked very well put together, sitting on a bench in the foyer of the large house, and that threw Levi off. The only other time he’d seen the man, he’d looked like he could have been one of the waiters flitting from room to room. Today he looked like he’d stepped out of a fancy department store with his shiny boots, neatly pressed shirt, beautifully colored vest; his hair neatly pulled back and tied with a simple black ribbon. The sight was enough to make Levi stop dead in his tracks, though he wasn’t sure why. He stared at the other man for a moment or two before Erwin must have felt eyes on him. Blue eyes shifted and widened when they fell upon Levi. Erwin’s mouth opened a bit as if in shock before he clamped his lips back together and stood, smoothing out his trousers and clearing his throat. He clearly was not expecting Levi to come down. Good, he wasn’t prepared, that meant Levi had the upper hand. The shorter man stayed where he stood and crossed his arms over his chest, standing with a hip jutting out, hoping he looked as annoyed by this inconvenience as he felt. Erwin strode toward him and seemingly managed to cross the expansive room in two strides.

“Levi, I honestly did not expect you to come down. I am, however, very grateful that you did. I’d like..”

“To apologize? Good. Got it. You may go.” Levi arched an eyebrow at Erwin and nodded toward the door. “You may go, then, now that you’ve cleared your conscience.” At that Erwin arched one of his own brows.

“Is that why you think I’m doing this? I’m only doing it because I would feel better if I were able to write you off?” He waited for Levi to confirm this as truth. The shorter man nodded just slightly but said nothing.

“That is the most absurd thing I’ve heard in a while, Levi.” Erwin began, looking crestfallen, “ Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I genuinely feel bad? I insulted you many times and laughed in your face. I acted more foolish than I have in years and I’ve wanted nothing more than to apologize to you. I know you have no reason to listen to me but allow me this, please. I am not that man you met, I swear it. I was crass and off color. Please just let me do this.” Something in Erwin’s voice caught Levi off guard. He was being incredibly sincere and Levi wasn’t sure why. Why did it matter so much that he apologize to Levi, so much so that he had come round every day even though he’d resigned himself to Levi always refusing to see him. Levi looked up into the man’s eyes and felt his resolve crack.

“Okay, fine. But not here. Everyone is listening. I can feel it.”

“Then allow me to treat you to a drink. There’s a pub not far from here - it’s one of my favorites to visit when I am hom-“ 

“I’ll dress and then we can go. Don’t move.” Levi turned and headed up the stairs.

*~*

“Thank you again, for agreeing to this Levi.” Erwin smiled at him as they took a seat in a corner booth. Nodding, Levi avoided eye contact and snatched up the drink menu, glancing over it until he saw wine he knew he would be pleased with.

“I had to do it, otherwise they’d have sat and listened to every damn word out of our mouths. There’s no such thing as privacy in a house full of vampires, sadly.” Levi set the menu down, crossing his arms and looking out the window. Erwin watched him, taking in his body language. He knew he had upset Levi but he didn’t know someone could hold onto a grudge so adamantly; the annoyance radiated off of the man in waves and it made Erwin feel about 2 feet tall. He sighed and tried to engage the man again.

“Your drinks will be on me so, please, order what you wish.” He finished with a tentative smile. Levi’s head snapped toward his, an eyebrow arched.

“Of course they will be.” He huffed, lowering his voice to mutter in French about the absurdity of this whole situation. He could be at home reading instead of out with some dumb brute had this man just had some self control in the first place. Erwin let out a deep sigh and asked Levi what it was he wanted to drink. In a clipped tone, Levi told him the name of the wine and went back to looking out the window. Erwin moved away from the table, attempting to calm his temper. He was here to apologize, not to start a fight, but Levi was making it insanely difficult for him. How damn hard was it to just accept a damn apology? He stood at the bar and ordered, staring down at the counter top as he waited for the drinks to be done. Moments later two drinks were set in front of him, he paid, thanked the bar keep and headed back to the table. 

“Here we are.” He set Levi’s glass in front of him and sat down with his own, taking a sip of the amber liquid. Levi swirled the wine in the glass and leaned in to take a sniff. 

“Ah, smells wonderful.” He closed his eyes and took a small sip, a pleased noise escaping his throat. Erwin watched as the other man treated this moment with the utmost reverence, amusement lighting up his face. 

“A fan of wine?”

“You literally have no idea.” Levi deadpanned, taking another sip as he continued to look out the window.

“Well, tell me about it. Have you always been a fan, did you family used to make it or something?” Erwin was genuinely curious, he’d grown up around vampires and knew they could drink but it seemed Levi took his love for drink to a whole new level. He wondered if Levi like this only about wine? Surely the man had no need to drink water..?

“I just really like wine.” Levi said, his voice took on a tone just this side of condescending. Erwin frowned again and took a larger sip of his beer. 

“I see. That’s it then?”

“Pretty much.” Levi took out a pack of cigarettes then, taking one out and lighting it up. He let the smoke twirl around him in the air for a moment before a look of mock concern took up residence on his face, “Oh, I hope you don’t mind if I smoke.”

“Something tells me that even if I did you still wouldn’t care.” Erwin couldn’t help the annoyance that seeped out with his words. However, he took out his own pack and lit up his own cigarette, taking a large drag and exhaling, his tongue peeking out to swipe at the corner of his mouth as he did so.

“You are so very right about that.” The shorter man crossed his legs under the table and leaned back, finally looking at Erwin. It was then that Erwin lost his patience. He set his glass down a lot harder than he’d originally meant to and leaned forward, his nostrils flaring a bit.

“That is it, Levi! I did not force you to come here with me, you came of your own volition! It seems you’re having trouble grasping that. I did not come here so that you could treat me as if I am a burden just by simply existing, I get enough of that as it is and I won’t tolerate it from you. I have done what I came to do and if you cannot be man enough to accept that with dignity then I am done wasting my time. I don’t even know why I care about this so much! You clearly don’t care about anything other than yourself, so I apologize for taking up your precious time. I’ve paid for the drinks as promised, so I’ll just be on my way.” 

Erwin’s hand shook as he brought the cigarette up once more to his lips, dragging off of it. Levi watched him with wide eyes, having the decency to look ashamed of himself. He didn’t really know why he was acting this way toward Erwin but it was almost as if he couldn’t help it. It was the embarrassment of the whole situation, he supposed, but why should that mean he punish this man further when it was clear Erwin had already punished himself. No, Levi concluded, Erwin was being sincere and Erwin deserved at least a sincere acceptance. Erwin reached for his coat, leaning forward and pulling it on. Levi took in the tense set of his shoulders, the fidgeting of his leg. Sighing, Levi took a drag off his own cigarette before taking the last sip of his wine.

“You’re right.” Levi’s voice was so low he wasn’t sure Erwin could hear him over the cacophony of noises in the pub, however he must have because as soon as the words left his lips, steely blue eyes shot up and looked at him in disbelief, and he stopped in his movements to vacate the booth. 

“Come again?” Levi knew Erwin just wanted to hear it again, wanted to make him admit his wrong again just for the sake of hearing it. It annoyed Levi to no end but he also knew he shouldn’t argue with this man anymore. There was no point and it clearly seemed to upset the blond man.

“I said, you’re right. I’ve been treating you abysmally and that’s not exactly fair. What you said those things.. You were in an altered state. No, that doesn’t excuse you from it, but it does help me see the situation differently. I assume had you been unaltered, you would have simply apologized for bumping into me and then bid me farewell?” Erwin nodded, staring at Levi critically, as if he was waiting for this to blow up in his face somehow, though he sat again, giving Levi his full attention.

“When you first came to my house, I didn’t want to see you because I was so angry. Angry that someone could even say things like that to the face of someone they didn’t even know from Adam. As the week wore on it just mostly became about sticking to my word and standing up for myself. I guess I got carried away with it and no, that’s not fair to you. Two wrongs do not make a right. I accept your apology, Erwin, and I do wish to extend to you my forgiveness. I would also like to thank you for the drink. You’ve gone above and beyond the call of someone in the wrong who should apologize. I … I appreciate that. It has been a while since someone made that much effort.” Levi swallowed as he finished, making sure to continue looking at Erwin. The man’s features softened as Levi spoke by the time he was finished, he wore a weary smile.

“Thank you, Levi. I..” Erwin exhaled, rubbing a finger on the condensation forming on his cup. “Thank you.”

“I suppose now I should apologize for how I’ve been acting. No one deserves that.” Levi mimicked Erwin, his finger running along the stem of his wine glass, eyes downcast. 

Erwin looked up at him, a playful smirk on his face. “Should I ignore you for a week and make you squirm until I accept?” Levi scoffed and rolled his eyes at that, but he couldn’t help the smile the crept onto his face.

“Don’t be an ass.” Levi wasn’t sure why, but when he looked up Erwin looked different to him. He looked harmless, he looked like someone Levi could become friends with. Levi blinked, his head tilting as his body began to tingle just slightly. He hadn’t felt this way since.. His eyes widened as he realized what was going on. Erwin lifted a brow, looking perplexed. 

“Everything okay, Levi?”

“..Yeah, sorry.” Levi took a deep breath and steeled himself. He knew whatever happened from here on out would be interesting, it could end up going great, or it could quickly crash and burn. Yet, he didn’t care. He suddenly needed to be around Erwin. He needed to learn everything he could about this man, his likes, his hobbies, his beliefs, what made him laugh.. 

“Do you have anywhere you need to be right now?” Levi’s voice was innocent, low. He realized he was nervous. Erwin had only wanted to apologize, that didn’t mean he wanted to be friends. Still, Levi was willing to try. He couldn’t help it, he was compelled. He looked up at Erwin nervously, and saw that he was smiling a bright smile, and he noticed that his eyes crinkled when he smiled that wide. He wanted to always make Erwin smile like that…

“I do not. Why do you ask?” The look on Erwin’s face proved he knew why Levi was asking, but this man seemed determined to make Levi said what he wanted to hear.

“Well, I’ve some errands to run.. If you wanted to join me, I.. Well, I wouldn’t be opposed.”

“I’d love to.” Was Erwin’s immediate answer. He stretched and stood up, grabbing his pack of cigarettes off the table. Levi watched him, not even trying to hide the fact that he was ogling him. He honestly hadn’t expected Erwin to agree so easily and he also hadn’t realized just how attractive this man was.

“Great. Let’s go then.” He smiled a genuine smile as he stood. He put his coat on and headed toward the door. He could feel Erwin behind him, following, and he smiled to himself. For the first time in a long time he felt as if he could have a real, deep connection with someone and this prospect thrilled him, filling him with a happiness he hadn’t felt in a long time.


	7. 1800's: Part Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is still an excited child in a candy store, Erwin rather likes that about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Hi. Uhm. Been a while, hasn't it?
> 
> WARNING: ignore historical travel inaccuracies, the internet was not helpful so I had to make due with that I knew and so i jiay went with it. Also, it just kept dragging on and on, so, the ending of it is a bit rushed, I think, but I am starting to realise the 1800s were a bigger ballgame than I was prepared for, so I'm trying to figure out what needs to be in this and what doesn't and that's hard for me because I want it ALL IN THERE. (that's what she said.) ((sorry.)) (((no i'm not.))) Also, please ignore any mistakes. I'm doin' my best here xD.
> 
> The *~*~*~*~Eruri*~*~*~*~*~ starts to pick up in this chapter and only gets stronger as it goes on. You have been warned! *nods*

Levi walked up the steps of Erwin’s family home and knocked on the door. He stood, waiting, clutching a book in his hands. It had been three months since he’d started his friendship with Erwin. Three insane months. Erwin had been bringing him more and more out of his shell and that buzzing beneath his skin only grew stronger as the days went by. Levi was thankful everyday that he had been forced to talk to Erwin, it seemed to be good for him. Levi lost himself in his thoughts and jumped as the door opened and the butler appeared.

 “Yes, may I help you?” 

 “I am here to see Erwin, he is expecting me.” Levi smiled politely but his face fell when he saw the butler roll his eyes ever so slightly and sigh as he turned into the house, stepping to the side.

 “Come in then, I shall fetch the young master.” The butler’s tone had changed from polite to clipped. Levi wondered what he had done or said to make the man upset. Surely Levi wasn’t an inconvenience, Erwin himself had told him to come calling on this day around this time. He outwardly shrugged and decided he didn’t care what was wrong with the butler. He would soon see Erwin and that was all he cared about. 

 It had been a month since he had seen Erwin and Levi found that being apart that long was enough to drive him up the walls, thus driving the members of his clan up the wall. Erwin had gone on a trip with some friends to Egypt, a place Erwin had always wanted to go. Levi recalled Erwin’s excitement when he and his friends finally decided upon a destination, Erwin had been so excited that it filled Levi with excitement and he found himself in Christian’s library reading any book he could find on the subject of Egyptian history. Erwin had sent him one letter, and he got it a day before Erwin was due to arrive back home. Levi cherished the letter and kept it pressed in one of his favorite books. Erwin was incredibly excited in the letter, explaining what all they had done in the couple days they’d been there and assuring Levi  that the travel there was safe. It had given Levi that extra something he needed to make it through until Erwin arrived home, and now here he was waiting to see him again. He smiled so wide his cheeks almost hurt.

 “Levi!” Erwin called out, clearly happy to see the vampire. Levi startled and turned toward the sound, smiling even wider.

 “Erwin! So good to see you!” He calmly walked forward (he wouldn’t allow himself to run to him, he didn’t need Erwin knowing just how much he had missed him.) and patted Erwin on the arm. “Wow. You’re a different color!” Levi laughed. Erwin indeed had tanned while exploring beneath the sun. He was a beautiful golden color and Levi found himself wondering just how tan other areas were, though he quickly shook that thought from his head.

 “Good to see you too!” Erwin laughed, patting Levi’s back. Levi could have sworn his hand lingered a little more than was acceptable and he was almost positive Erwin ran his hand down his back a short distance before removing it. However, he was in no position to ask. Instead he reveled in the sensation that spread through his body at the touch. “Yes! I’m quite toasty. You should have seen me in the first week. I was so red I looked like cooked lobster. That’s the trouble with being born in Britain, always cloudy. My skin is delicate.” Levi snorted at that.

 “Anyway, follow me. We can convene in my room.” Erwin turned and started toward the stairs.

 “Excuse me, young master?” It was the annoyed butler again. Erwin deflated ever so slightly and turned toward him. 

 “Yes, Edward?” Levi could tell Erwin was trying to keep his tone neutral, it seemed to be taking a lot of effort.

 “Your mother has requested you for dinner tonight, if you recall. Do try and not be late.” The butler’s eyes darted between Levi and Erwin, a slightly disturbed look on his wrinkled face. Levi felt Erwin tense up, noticing he was flexing his fingers.

 “Edward, I am aware. Though, thank you for the reminder. I am sure I will be on time as I’d already planned on it.” He turned then, not even glancing at Levi. “Levi.” Was all he said as he started up the stairs. Levi looked back at the butler in confusion before quickly turning and heading up the stairs after Erwin.

 “I cannot stand that man. He is as nasty to me as he can be without getting in trouble and it tests my patience each and every time.” Erwin grumbled as they walked down a carpeted hallway. “He adores my parents and even my brother. I am not so lucky, it would seem.” Erwin took a deep breath and shook his head to clear his thoughts as he came to a door. “Ah well. Anyway, today is a good day. I shan’t linger on him.” He grinned at Levi then, turning the knob and opening the door to this room. Levi nodded in reply to Erwin’s small rant and followed in after him.

 It was large, was what Levi first noticed. Filled with a large four poster bed in the middle, an armoire, a large book shelf filled with books and a desk. The desk was covered in books, maps, writing utensils and paper. Levi soaked in what his eyes saw, learning more and more about Erwin with each object his eyes landed on. Lastly his eyes were drawn to a fairly large map on the wall. As he walked closer to it he noticed pins stuck into various places all over the map, different colors - red and blue. Levi smiled.

 “I take it this is where you have been and where you want to go?” He turned, then, looking to Erwin who was standing back, arms crossed loosely across his chest. He smiled at Levi, completely at ease and walked over to stand beside him.

 “Exactly so. Red is where I wish to go, blue is where I’ve been.” Erwin stuffed his hands in his pockets and gazed at the map. He made a small “Ah!” noise before moving to dig around in a desk drawer. He pulled out a blue pin and excitedly reached out to take the red pin out of the word “Egypt”, triumphantly pushing the blue pin into the hole left behind. Laying the red pin down, he clapped his hands. “Well.. There’s one thing I can tick off my list of life goals.” He was positively radiant and Levi couldn’t help but be excited with him.

 “That’s… that’s very good Erwin. I’m very happy for you!” He smiled, patting Erwin’s arm, letting it linger for a just moment. 

 “You said you don’t travel often?” Erwin cocked his head, looking at Levi curiously.

 Levi shook his head and leaned his hip on the desk, his hands still clutching the book he brought with him. “I haven’t.. Really had the chance. When my family died I spiraled down. Fast. I moved away from London and somehow landed myself in this clan after a couple years of failing to take care of myself on my own.” Levi looked down at the book he held, tracing a pattern on the worn cover as he spoke. “After Christian got me stable I had a lot of issues. Well, have really. Anyway, the point is, when my family was alive I traveled to Paris and a few other towns in France, once we moved here I went to a couple different towns.. But no. I’ve never been outside of Britain and France. I don’t like traveling by boat, either.” Levi shuddered as he remembered the ferry trip from France to Britain.

 Erwin chucked, his eyes lighting up a bit. “Well.. Are there any places you would like to visit? I mean, surely you have thought about travel?”

 Levi’s eyes glanced upward as he gathered his thoughts, his lips pursed. “You know.. I’ve always wanted to visit Italy. Spain. Oh, Germany would be nice. Have you ever been to India? I’ve read so much about it and I’m absolutely fascinated!” Levi moved one hand around in the air, gesturing wildly as he spoke. Levi had of course thought of travel. He had thought of it a lot but had been too scared to do anything about it. It would be dangerous for him to travel alone, surely. He went on to name off many towns in different countries he had wished of visiting and Erwin listened, a sly smile slowly creeping onto his face. 

 “Sounds like you’ve thought about this a lot, Levi.” 

 “Oh.. You know. I have a lot of time on my hands.” He smiled sheepishly and looked down again, suddenly remembering he still held the book in his arms. “Oh! Here! I finished it while you were gone, I figured now would be as good a time as any to return it.” He presented the book and grinned. “It was really good, thank you for lending it to me.”

 Erwin took the book, turning toward the bookshelf and lovingly placing it between two other very well loved books. “Thank you! That’s my favorite book. Did you enjoy it?”

 “Give not thyself up, then, to fire, lest it invert thee, deaden thee; as for the time it did me. There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness.” Levi quoted, causing Erwin to give him an approving look. 

 “I’ll take that as a yes.”

 “I don’t know, I guess I could just relate to the madness. To wanting something so bad you were willing to do anything to make sure the goal you wished for was the outcome.” He shrugged then. 

 “I think most of us can. I absolutely love it. Really, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Christian gave it to me for my birthday the year it came out. He’s always getting me the good ones, I don’t know how he does it.”

 “I suspect he’s a wizard, really.” Levi deadpanned, only half joking. Erwin let out a chuckle and cleared his throat.

 “So, I’ve a proposal for you.” He looked young then, nervous energy suddenly radiating from him. This caused Levi’s curiosity to spike through the roof.

 “….Oh? Do tell! Go on, don’t keep me waiting a moment longer!”

 “What if I told you that you could take a trip to London, Paris, Rome, and Venice? Possibly more, depending on time and if I hear back from some friends in time.”

 Levi blinked at him in confusion, his brow furrowing as he struggled to understand what Erwin was offering. “Erwin?”

 “Yes?” There was a hint of hesitancy in his voice and he began to look worried. 

 “Are.. Are you offering to let me accompany you on one of your trips?”

 “Ah, yes. I am. You don’t have to agree. I just had some free time coming up and I happen to have a lot of friends in those places. I just thought it would be good for you, you know. Get you out. Help you with your constant restlessness.” He smiled then, hoping this would maybe sway the vampire into agreeing.

 There was a deafening silence as Levi let this sink in. Erwin was asking him to travel with him? Would they be alone? What did this mean. Wait.. Did he say Rome?!

 “Yes!” Levi couldn’t help the volume of his voice which caused him to jump, his hands instinctively moving up to cover his own ears. “Sorry! Oh wow, Erwin. Do you mean it?” Erwin fixed him with an amused look, trying not to laugh at the smaller man.

 “I do! We will leave before the month is out, if all goes according to plan. Is that okay?”

 “That’s perfect!” Levi bounced in place, clapping his hands together as he exclaimed excitedly in French. “I’m going to Rome! I’m going to Venice! Oh, Paris. Je t’aime.” Levi was so happy he was pretty sure he was going to explode. He’d never expected to leave Britain again because he was just comfortable there, but… well, with Erwin looking so gorgeous and excited, there was no possible way he could turn it down.

 Erwin turned and dug around in another desk drawer, pulling out a small stack of papers and booklets.

 “Here’s some information on where we’ll be going, I also wrote up a tentative itinerary. Sorry, I tend to do this, it makes trips go a lot smoother. If there’s anything you want to add, by all means, let me know!” 

 Levi stared down at the packet of papers, flipping through them as his smile grew. 

 

 —————

 

The doors of Christian’s home flew open and suddenly there was a noise unlike any the vampires had ever had to endure. The sound of Levi’s boots on the marble floor reverberated loudly, bouncing off the walls. “CHRISTIAN!”

 “Oh my god, Levi! How long has it been? How many times must we tell you? Inside. Voice!!” A voice called out from somewhere upstairs. 

 “I’m sorry! I’m just too excited! Where is Christian!?” Levi all but yelled back at the voice. A low growl came from the direction and Levi chuckled quietly to himself. Viktor was very often cranky, so he wasn’t too worried about it. 

 “Levi, child, I am right here. There is never any need to yell, you should know this by now. If you can’t lower your voice, then follow me outside. We’ll talk out there.” Christian, ever a patient saint, spoke low and calm then turned to walk quietly outside, knowing Levi would follow him and follow him Levi did…on the balls of his feet, as he bounced after him. 

 “You will never guess what’s happened!” He exclaimed as he shut the door behind them and stepped into the sun, following Christian out to the gardens. Christian smiled, his hands clasped loosely behind his back as they walked. Levi moved to the side, turning to face him as he walked backward.

 Christian glanced at Levi, unable to do nothing but smile as the happiness radiated off the shorter man in tsunami like waves. “Pray then, go on.”

 “Erwin and I are to take a trip!” Christian’s eyes widened, he’d known that Erwin had taken quite a liking to Levi but, admittedly, he had not seen this coming. 

 “…Oh? A trip?” 

 “We’re going to Paris, Rome, Venice, and, of course, London!” Levi clapped his hands together as he took in a breath. “We’ll be gone a month, maybe more. He said it is dependent upon if he hears from friends in other countries in time!” Levi began to chatter on about travel arrangements and plans he’d already started concocting for each city they visited, as well as the plans Erwin already had for them. Excitedly he shoved the papers at Christian and demanded he look at them. Christian chuckled as the took the papers in his hands, scanning over them.

 “Oh, he’s got some good things planned for Venice. Doesn’t surprise me though, he loves it there.” Christian folded up the papers and handed them back to Levi. 

 “Yeah.. He really likes to travel doesn’t he?” Levi’s smiled softened as he calmed a bit.

 “Since he could go on his own, really, he’s been traveling. Small journeys at first, to Yorkshire or London. As he grew older the length of his travels increased. The pressures of his family grew to be too much.” Christian trailed off, not knowing how much Levi knew of Erwin and his family.

 “Yes, I know he has issues being compared to his brother.. So many expectations of him they have. I don’t understand it. My family was that of Noble blood and we were rich in a time when that was rare… and yet even my parents did not hold me to such high expectations. Nor my brother. All they cared about was that he married for love. They wanted much the same for me. Until I became this, that is.”

 “A vampire, Levi. You’ve got to learn to own it.” Christian smiled at him, amused.

 “Until I became a vampire.” Levi rolled his eyes fondly, smiling. “Vampire. I am a vampire.”

 “That’s the spirit. Now, as for what you said. I suppose maybe things were different then. You’re parents lived on a farm, didn’t they? They did not live in excess?”

 “Not at all. My parents taught us to be careful with money. They wanted us to live simple lives, and I suppose that is different. Times are different now. When it once was shunned to be wealthy, because so many weren’t, it’s now the status quo to strive to be wealthy.”

 “I think you’re right.. To a point. Your family was rich in a country that was in need. A country that was desperately in need of a change and your parents saw that. They wanted you all to be a part of that change. Erwin lives in an age where your name is more important than you as a person. It’s strange to watch it play out. Usually that falls upon the eldest, but Erwin’s parents seem to want him to follow in his brother’s footsteps. Ensure the line of Smith carries on. However, I’m sure they’ll have a hard time with that when it comes to Erwin. Married or not.”

 Levi’s eyebrows rose in curiosity, “Oh? Why? Will he have trouble conceiving?” 

 At that Christian laughed loudly. “I.. I suppose you could say that. Let’s just say that his interests lie elsewhere.”

 Levi furrowed his brow in confusion, but decided not the press the issue. “Oh.. Okay.”

 They walked to a bench and sat, enjoying the cool breeze swirling around them.

 “I feel drawn to him, Christian.” Levi’s voice was soft, almost as if he didn’t really want to be heard.

 Christian’s eyes widened. He was honestly surprised by this, he knew Levi was fond of Erwin.. But to be drawn to him? He looked over at Levi and watched as he fidgeted a bit, picking at some invisible lint on his trousers.

 “How do you mean, Levi?”

 “Like I felt drawn to.. To Eren. It’s not as strong, not at all, but I can’t help it. I long to be around him. To make him laugh, smile. To make him happy. Christian, I feel like I’m betraying Eren..” Levi’s head was bowed, his lips fixed in a frown.

 “Oh, Levi. Don’t feel that way, please..” Christian reached a hand out and rested it on Levi’s shoulder comfortingly. “You know of my wife, how I wait for her. I wait each agonizing year for her to return to me. Yet.. I have taken lovers and I have been involved in courtships. It happens. You cannot sit around and waste your life just waiting for one person, my child. Yes, hold out hope for Eren, for surely he will appear, but also do not deny yourself happiness when it comes.”

 Levi looked over at Christian, a small smile ghosting over his lips. “You sound like my brother. I like that, it makes me feel better. A little, at least. I mean, I cannot just assume Erwin’ll go along with it as easily as Eren did, Eren felt the draw to me as well and he wanted me as I wanted him. That is not a chance I can take at this time. But, I do know that it is enough just being his friend. He treats me like I’m normal. Doesn’t act afraid of me at all. It’s nice.”

 “Oh, Levi, you act as if you have no friends!” Christian’s tone was light as he playfully elbowed Levi in the ribs.

 “Oi, you. You know what I mean.” The smaller man laughed, gingerly rubbing the spot Christian had elbowed, before frowning again. “Though.. What if I do meet someone and I do choose to be with them. What then, should Eren just… show back up? Won’t he still feel drawn to me and I to him? What do I do then?”

 Christian opened his mouth to speak but found that he had no idea what he wanted to say. Sure, he’d seen many vampires go through this. Not all, mind you, but some. None of them had ever asked his advice on this. He paused for a few moments, trying to find a correct answer to give Levi, but he couldn’t come up with anything. Sighing, he turned to Levi and furrowed his brows.

 “I.. I must say I am honestly at a loss for what to tell you. Should you knowingly enter a relationship with someone other than your mate, then that is your choice. However, you must realize what this could mean for you and your partner. I cannot tell you what to do or even how to handle it - that is something you will have to choose when and if the time comes.” Christian paused, feeling like what he had said wasn’t enough some how, that he hadn’t the words to help his charge. 

 “So… basically this is my choice and I must choose wisely, keeping in mind all the consequences of my actions?” Levi tilted his head, looking at Christian curiously.

 “…Yes. Exactly that. I’m glad you’re smart enough to gather my meaning, child.” Christian was impressed. He wasn’t even sure what he was trying to say and yet Levi got something out of it anyway. Good on him, then. He watched Levi as he stared out at the gardens, his brow furrowed in thought. “Well, congratulations on your trip. I think it will be most beneficial to you, Levi.” Levi smiled at him then, watching as Christian rose from his seat. “For now, though, I’m going to go back inside.”

 “Thanks for talking with me!” Levi called out after the older vampire as he walked away. Christian smiled at him over his shoulder. He was excited for Levi but he was also worried. Erwin and his…reputation…had to be taken into consideration. Especially since Levi felt the way he did about him. Once the older man got to his room, he sat down to write a letter. He would sort this out with Erwin before the trip happened. 

 

~~

 

The streets were busy, but not too much so, as Levi wove in and out of the people on his way back home. He’d ventured out, on his own this time, to pick up some things he’d need for his trip. Feeling brave before he left he had turned Olivia down when she’d asked if he wanted company. The world was his now that he was a globe trotting fiend. Sure, he hadn’t actually gone anywhere but he was going to, and soon, so there really wasn’t a difference, at least to Levi. However, as he grew more and more annoyed with the people on the streets either not looking where they were going or just altogether stopping in the middle of the walkway to stare at something that caught their eye, he wished he’d allowed Olivia to accompany him. His patience was running thin and soon he would probably yell at some innocent woman with a baby in her hands, causing them both to cry. Taking a deep breath, he soldiered on, walking down the street, until something caught his eye. A flash of long, bright red hair pulled back with a ribbon. There was only one person that hair could belong to. He was on his way to investigate when a tall muscular frame joined the other man. The tall man had golden hair and Levi knew immediately who that belonged to as well. Christian and Erwin? What were they doing? Wasn’t Erwin supposed to be with his mother? That’s what he’d told Levi, at least. Out of pure curiosity Levi walked toward the pub, telling himself he would only stay long enough to confirm it was them and nothing more. 

 However, as he neared the window he made out the words, _“talk to you about Levi.”_ and any thoughts he had about leaving quickly left his mind. Busying himself with going through his purchases on a bench near the window, he zeroed in on the two voices.

  _“Thank you more meeting with me, Erwin.”_ Levi could hear the scraping of the chairs on the floor, the inane chatter of the other patrons.

  _“It’s my pleasure. What’s this about Levi? Is everything okay?”_ Erwin sounded worried and an odd feeling bloomed in Levi’s stomach.

  _“Yes, yes, everything is fine. Don’t worry-“_ Christian’s sentence was drowned out as a child and he mother strolled by, the child talking loudly about something or another. Levi scowled in annoyance as they walked by, huffing a sigh before focusing again on the sounds of their voices.

  _"I’m sure I have no idea what you’re implying, Christian.”_ There was an edge to Erwin’s voice and Levi wondered just what exactly he had missed in those few moments.

  _“Erwin, come now.”_ There was a pause. _“Do not play dumb. I’ve known of your exploits since they’ve started. You’ve told me of them.”_

  _“Yes, I am aware. I am still not sure what this has to do with Levi?”_  

  _“Don’t do that to him.”_ There was a small bang and a deep inhale of breath.

  _“Christian. Have you no faith in my at all?!”_ Erwin’s voice was low, almost a whisper. _“I would.. I could never! Don’t you think I choose my lov-“_ Levi could have screamed when a group of university aged kids strolled by, drowning out the conversation again. Didn’t they understand how important it was that he hear this conversation? He willed them to walk faster, or to just shut the hell up but by the time they had gone and Levi was able to hear the two men inside again, he could tell he’d missed something important.

  _“How dare you insinuate that, Christian. You should know me better than this!”_

  _“I am insinuating nothing, I am merely warning you against doing something stupid! Levi is from a different time than you, things have different meaning to him right now. His upbringing is still so very much apart of who he is.”_

  _“Do you think I am unaware of this? I assure you, I know it well! I know how I am with others and I know how I want to be with him… I do not see how it is any of your business.”_

  _“Levi is my business! It is my job to protect him, to help him in this world. You are fooling yourself if you thought for one second that a talk like this would not have happened once I learned of your trip.”_

 Levi suddenly felt sick. He wasn’t sure what had brought this talk on, or even what they were on about but he knew that he’d heard enough and he needed to leave before one of them did it first and he was found out. Gathering his things, he stood and began to walk away briskly. He wished he had never stayed to listen, it was none of his business and all it had managed to do was confuse him more than he’d ever been in his life. What was Christian trying to protect him from? From Erwin? That hardly seemed to make sense; Christian never had an issue with Erwin before and never batted an eye at how close they became so quickly. Deciding he needn’t ponder on it a moment longer, Levi pushed it from his mind and instead focused on the fact that soon he would soon be on the trip of a lifetime. Whatever was going on between Christian and Erwin was their business and it was best he stayed out of it.

 

——

 

The morning of the trip came quickly, and for that Levi was glad. He had been packed for days and was pacing a path in his carpet in anticipation. Erwin had been kept mostly busy by his family now that he was home and Levi hadn’t been able to spend much time with him. The morning of their trip he arrived at the Smith estate bright and early as he had been told to do and sat impatiently on Erwin’s bed as the man finished up his packing, then it was off to the carriage for the long ride to London. Levi had admit he was nervous for their short stay in London. He hadn’t been there since his family had died - since his brother had died. London was where he’d fallen in love for the first time. London was where he was safe. The first day they were there Levi refused to leave his hotel room. Erwin tried and tried, but to no avail. 

  _“Levi, please come out. There’s a play tonight. I really think you’d like it.”_

  _“Cannot and will not. Go away!”_

 Levi felt bad, he really did, but the thought of going out into those streets and seeing the sights he saw before just made him feel sick. He knew it was going to be bad as they rode through town and he saw a building that used to be a sweets shop that he took his nieces and nephew to often. If he had a heart beat, it would have begun racing the moment he saw it. Instead he just stared blankly out the window, tuning out anything Erwin was saying. They checked into the inn and Levi immediately went up to his room and locked the door, he threw the curtains shut and turned out all the lights. He hoped Erwin wouldn’t think differently of him - but Erwin knew this was a possibility when they discussed the small stay in London so it wasn’t as if he was unprepared but Levi still couldn’t help by feel guilty when he heard the defeated sigh and the sounds of Erwin’s boots on the carpet as he retreated.

 That night while Erwin was out at the play (with some friend he’d heard talking in Erwin’s room) Levi left the confines of his room and went for a walk. He allowed himself to feel the pain as he walked familiar streets, seeing some familiar sights and some new. Before he knew what was happening he was standing before the house he and his parents had lived in. The lights were on - family he was no longer familiar with occupied it now. Daughters of nieces or something. He wasn’t sure anymore, he didn’t really care. He stood there listening to the sounds coming from inside. Dishes were clinking and there was laughter. He heard the babble of a small child and he couldn’t help but smile. His family was still there. Sure he didn’t know them, but did that really matter? In that house was his own blood. The descendants of a sibling he loved dearly who only existed because of his parents. Levi wondered if they knew about him? He knew his nieces and nephews did, but did they tell their children and so on? Would be be welcomed should he walk up those stairs and knock on the door? He shook the thought out of his head; he had no desire to step foot into that house right now. He turned then, and headed away from the house. 

 He walked purposefully down some winding narrow roads toward a familiar destination. He didn’t want to do it, but he had to see it - the alley way with the lamp where he and Eren used to meet. He wasn’t sure if he was hurt or relieved when he got there and found it was no longer an alley. Instead the small buildings that were there once there had been demolished and in their place stood a bigger building. A bank. He gave a sardonic chuckle as he turned from the bank and began to walk back to the inn he was staying at. It was late when he returned back but when he knocked on Erwin’s door there was no answer. Levi frowned and walked back to his room, sitting down on the bed and picking up a book.

 Later, when he looked at the clock, he noted it was half past seven o’clock in the morning and he had not yet heard Erwin come back. He stood to cheek in his room, maybe he had just been so engrossed in his book he’d not heard the noise of the other man returning. As he got near his door he heard the sound of footsteps out in the hall. Cracking his door open he looked out and there was Erwin walking toward the door to his respective room. He was still wearing the same clothes he’d worn the day before and he looked tired. Levi poked his head out, brows furrowed in concern. 

 “Erwin?” At the sound of Levi’s voice Erwin jumped, his eye going wide. 

 “Oh.. Oh, good morning Levi.” 

 “Where have you been?” Levi looked him over, causing the taller man to squirm.

 “I was with my friend, I shouldn’t have stayed out so late but I had a few too many drinks and didn’t feel I could trust myself enough to get back here safely.” Erwin’s smile was a bit forced, and his eyes darted to his door. Why did he want to get away from Levi so badly? Maybe he was just tired.

 Levi scrunched up his face, sniffing the air, his eyes widening with realization. Erwin smelled of sex and alcohol, so at least he was telling most of the truth. “Oh. Oh! Okay. Yes. I’ll.. I’ll just… Leave you to it then, I’m sure you would like to get some sleep. Good night, er, morning, then.” Levi very quickly retreated back into his room and shut the door, leaving an embarrassed Erwin alone in the hallway. He wasn’t upset, he decided, he didn’t really care who Erwin slept with (but wait, wasn’t his friend another man? Wouldn’t that mean..?)… but up until that moment he hadn’t though of Erwin as being sexually active and, well, to be completely honest his body was reacting eagerly to the thought of Erwin caught in the throes of passion with another person. He couldn’t help it, he didn’t want to imagine Erwin in those situations, except that… yes, god yes, he really did. 

 The rest of their stay in London was much better. Levi left his room and Erwin didn’t stay out at night. The day they left for Dover, Levi was a ball of excitement. He was so ready to go back to France. He spent most of the carriage ride speaking to Erwin only in French, which only served to frustrate and amuse the taller man. When they got to the ferry, Levi refused to stay in one place. He was looking out over the edge, he was on the other side inspecting things, he was back to their side, he was behind Erwin, he was in front of him. It wasn’t until the ferry took off that Erwin couldn’t find Levi at all. He spent the entire ride searching the entire ferry (which wasn’t very big, honestly) for Levi but couldn’t seem to find him anywhere. He was beginning to get worried, paranoid even. The possibility that a hunter had made it onto the ferry and had spotted Levi was a good one, but not likely to end in the death of Levi. He’d seen how strong Levi was, and sure he’d have seen a scuffle between passengers.

 Later when the ferry docked at the port in Calais, did Levi make his presence known. He crept out of a small closet in the corner, filled with brooms and mops. Erwin’s eyes widened as Levi stumbled toward him.

 “Levi! You’re green. Are you okay?” He rushed to the other man, helping him stay upright. 

 Levi couldn’t answer. He just shook his head and leaned into Erwin. 

 Erwin at this point began to chuckle, the sound vibrating into Levi and making him feel warm. “Don’t tell me you get sea sick?”

 Levi looked up at him then, narrowing his eyes in way he hoped was sinister, but it only made Erwin laugh. 

 “Monsieur, don’t mock me now I pray.” Levi rasped and Erwin chuckled again as he helped Levi off the Ferry going to sit on a bench as they waited for their bags. 

 “I am hardly mocking you. So dramatic.”

 “I am not only sea sick, but I am terrified of being in open water.” Levi spoke, feeling slightly childish with his confession.

 “Oh, well, you should have said something. I honestly have no idea what I could have done for you, but I could have tried something?”

 “If I’m dramatic, then you are useless. Carry me into the carriage, for I am too weak to walk.” Levi spoke with exaggeration, throwing an arm over his eyes. 

 “Oh shove off, then. Get in yourself you louse. I’m surprised you’re speaking in English, however, seeming as we are now officially in France.” At Erwin’s words, Levi gasped and moved away from him, quickly rushing to look out over the view. He exclaimed excitedly in French before running back and all but flying into the carriage that was waiting for them. 

 “Erwin, make haste! My country awaits!” Levi plopped down in his seat and bounced, staring out the window. Erwin laughed louder, then, helping the driver with their bags. 

 


	8. 1800's: Part Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chickens and goats, anger, and maybe some lip locking. You should read to find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes hi hello. banjoor. :D
> 
> I've finally written it! It's done! A lot kind of happens in this chapter but it needed to happen, so, yanno!
> 
> *RED LIGHTS FLASH*
> 
> Here is where the actual Eruri relationship begins. It's not until later in the chapter, so if you wanna read up to it you can still get some fun stuff out of this chapter. (Goats and chickens, par exemple) but from here on out this shall be main focus of the story. These two slugs and how they decide to become slugs together on the road of life, slooshing along that long, unforgiving highway with antennae held high! SALT BE DAMNED!
> 
> also THERE IS KIND of an implication that someone likes girls much younger than they are. There's no details, nothing even confirmed or denied, but I suppose it could be a lil triggery. so. heads up, you guys!
> 
> *END RED LIGHTS*
> 
> OH, also. Because I forgot to mention this last chapter, the year now is 1873. *blows blowy horn squeak thing* I imagine they're taking this trip sometime in the spring. 
> 
> Yes. I should only have a couple more chapters left of this, I've just got a couple more things we need before we move on to the next time frame. Pretty soon we'll be in modern day and hooooooo boy am I excited for that! 8D Some modern day Ereri is always one of the ways to my heart. 
> 
> So buckle up and get ready for this chapter, and the next which is already being written. 
> 
> As always, only form of beta-ing is me reading over it. This time I read over it in the wee hours of the morning when I should have been working on my final. Whoops! Anyway, I shan't keep you any longer. Go read! Go enjoy! 
> 
> Comments, questions, concerns? Leave them here or at our respective tumblrs! Merci beaucoup!

The sun was peeking out over the clouds as Levi snuck into Erwin’s room in the house they were staying in. Levi hadn’t meant to stay out all night, he’d fully intended to come back at a reasonable hour (for a vampire, at least) and do some light reading until morning. However, as fate would have it, he was distracted so much so that he didn’t realize it was time to go home until the sky began to turn a vibrant pink color. He’d finished what he was doing then and bid the men around him goodbye. As he snuck into Erwin’s room he willed the goat he lead by a rope to stay quiet and the chicken fluttered it’s wings in the wooden cage it had been stuffed in. Levi glared at the creature in hopes that maybe vampires had some kind of unknown telepathic link with animals. The chicken flapped again and Levi sighed. Shutting the door behind him once everyone was in, he tied the goat to one of the posts of Erwin’s bed and sat the chicken on the edge of Erwin’s bed, then sat down - ever so gently - beside the cage. Levi crossed his legs and rested his elbows on his knees, resting his chin in his hands. He’d just have to wait here until Erwin woke up. Then he’d know what to do, because right now he had no idea what to do and couldn’t speak the language well enough to sell the animals. So… he’d just wait. The sun was almost completely up… which meant that Erwin wouldn’t be much longer.

Levi crossed his legs on the bed and rested his elbows on this thighs, supporting his head in his hands. He tried to look anywhere else in the room but his eyes kept being drawn back to the large man sleeping before him. Erwin’s lips were slightly parted and his long hair framed his face. Levi wished he could reach out and trace the strong line of Erwin’s jaw or cup his cheek. He’d been finding himself nearly desperate to touch the other man more and more as they spent more time together during this trip. Sure, he’d allow himself small touches here and there when the situation already called for it - sitting next to him in a crowded theatre or handing him something from the table, helping him tie back his hair. The touches always sent a shock through Levi and he reveled in it, craved more. He knew, however, that he could not ask for more than he was given. Erwin was his friend, nothing more, especially now that he knew Erwin fancied men. If Erwin had thought of him as more than a friend he surely would have said something or maybe given some indication that he thought of him differently. Levi had long before come to terms with having Erwin only as a friend, so it didn’t take too much for him to repair his feelings after seeing Erwin that morning he’d come back to the hotel smelling of that man.

After that night, Levi found he missed being intimate with someone. He missed long nights up laying naked in bed, touching each other simply for the purpose of feeling skin, laughing at something completely between the two of you - all of it. He missed the feeling of being with someone, of being so wholly filled up you felt as if you’d never feel empty again but reveling in the empty feeling after, knowing it was that person that made you feel that way. Levi heaved a sigh and shook his head. He wasn’t here to wax poetic about his lack of a love life for the past hundred years or so, no, he was here to figure out what to do with the damned goat and chicken. Looking over at the chicken, he fixed it with a sympathetic stare, it only blinked beady eyes back at him in return. The goat, however, was no where to be seen. Levi pulled the rope he’d used to tie the goat up and was met with a frayed end. “Merde!” He scrambled off the bed as his eyes darted around the room. He rounded the bed and found the bottom half of the goat poking out from the underneath the bed and he could hear the sound of chewing. He gently gripped the goat and pulled the it out from under the bed. The goat looked at him, perplexed, still chewing on one of Erwin’s slippers.

“God damn it! No! Bad! Bad goat!” Levi grabbed the slipper and took it from the goat. The goat, very displeased by the turn of events, bleated loudly. “No! You can’t have this. This is not yours!” He waved the slipper in front of the goat, its eyes following the slipper hungrily. “You should have actual food. Not shoes. Do you know what goes in shoes? Feet. Feet go in shoes. Do you know where feet go? On the ground! Do you know what people used to do to the ground? They shit on it, sir, they shit on the ground. People walk on the ground! Oh, god, this is disgusting!” Levi turned around throwing his hands up in the air before turning and looking at the goat, pointing at the goat. “YOU are disgusting!” Levi made a noise of disgust and went to grab the other end of the rope to tie back to the length still around the neck of the goat. 

“Levi…” Erwin’s voice was thick with sleep and the sudden sound of it startled Levi, causing him to jump. He turned around and looked at Erwin who was sitting up now, looking at the chicken with a look of great confusion. “Please tell me I’m dreaming.”

Levi stood still, not blinking. “Would that make you less angry?” Levi remembered the slipper and quickly hid it behind his back. The goat, sensing he was not being watched, slowly snuck towards Levi, eyeing the slipper.

“Well.. I don’t really know what I feel, as I’m not exactly sure what’s going on. Why is there a chicken on my bed and a goat in my room?”

“Funny story, really.” Levi chuckled then, a forced laugh. “I was bored last night, so I went for a walk. Well, one thing led to another and bam. I was playing a card game with four men that didn’t speak English or French. I’m not sure what we played but I picked it up quickly and, uh, apparently I won?”

Erwin looked at Levi then, his face hardening a bit. “You went out on your own in a city you don’t know and played a card game with strangers? Levi, have you any idea how dangerous that could have been?” Erwin had balled his fists, staring at him.

Levi crossed his arms and jutted his hip out, the perfect picture of annoyance. The goat bleated again as the slipper was once more taken out of his reach. “Yes. I did. I’m not a child, Erwin. I know how to take care of myself in situations like that.”

“You realize there are hunters everywhere, even here?”

“I do, Erwin, but what am I supposed to do? Shut myself up in my room every night and just wait for you to wake up? No. One of the best times to explore a city is at night. I’m going to do this if I want. I’ve spent enough time locked away in a house to stay safe. I’m not about that life anymore, so don’t even try to scold me.”

Erwin sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to get anywhere with Levi. “Okay, okay.” Erwin lifted his hands up in surrender. “You’re right. I can’t ask you to stay locked up. I’m sorry, I just worry for you.” Levi watched as Erwin’s face turned a light shade of pink, almost as if he were embarrassed to even admit that, and the sight made Levi feel odd in his chest. He cleared his throat and ignored the goat as it butted him in the hip lightly.

“Well I appreciate your concern but I’m more than capable of handling myself. You seem to forget that I was once surrounded by some of the best hunters in my country. I — Are you quite finished?!” Levi snapped, looking down at the goat, as Erwin watched on with an odd, amused expression. The goat didn’t bat an eye, he just continued to ram his head into Levi’s hip. Levi heaved a world weary sigh and looked back to Erwin, “As I was saying. I was raised with some of the best hunters in my country. I am quite capable of handing myself with a group of rouge card players.”

“I’m sure what you’re saying is all very spot on and well thought out, but I haven’t heard a word. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry but I— You—” Erwin dissolved, then, into a fit of laughter. He leaned over in the bed, laughing hard, the bed shaking under him. This quite disturbed the chicken and caused it to flutter wildly whilst squawking, which in turn only made Erwin laugh harder. Levi blinked, watching at the usually put together man fall apart at the seams before him, his face contorting in either amusement or terror, he wasn’t sure which. Levi quickly moved to take the chicken off the bed before its noise woke anyone else at the establishment. He gently set the chicken on the floor and reached a hand in to smooth the poor creature’s feathers, which seemed to calm it down. Erwin was still laughing but Levi could tell the fit wouldn’t last much longer. He took the time to finish what he’d started doing in the first place - retying the goat up. When he was finished he sat down in a chair watching Erwin laugh. Eventually he sat up, chuckling, his cheeks stained with tears from his laughter and his hair curtaining his face. 

“So sorry, Levi. I just… the absurdity of what I was greeted with upon waking. That was a first.” He wiped at his eyes and smiled brightly at Levi. “This is definitely a first in my life. I needed that laugh, thank you.” Levi gave a shrug and looked back over to the animals. The goat was currently trying to chew through the rope again. Levi just stared at the goat and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“I don’t know how we’re going to get rid of these two, but let’s…” Erwin stood then, going to grab some fresh clothes from his bag atop the chest at the foot of the bed. “Let’s see what we can manage, alright?” Erwin chuckled again and turned to walk toward the bathroom, passing Levi and ruffling his hair on the way.

—— — ——

A few days later Levi found himself at a house on the beach attending a posh party being thrown by one of Erwin’s many friends. This one, Marc if he recalled correctly, had been one of Erwin’s uni friends and have moved to Italy almost immediately after graduation. They had visited during one of their breaks and Marc had fallen in love. When he heard Erwin was in town he had quickly thrown together quite a large get together and Levi was reluctant to go. He quickly found, however, that it was incredibly hard for him to say no to Erwin. So here he was, wandering about the house in the quieter areas, admiring the art and knickknacks found in the halls and rooms. Erwin had tried to stay close by but was quickly pulled away by a throng of old friends and women that wanted his attention. He’d shot Levi an apologetic look as he was all but carried away. Levi had shrugged and set off to do some exploring. Parties bored him, people bored him, though he was more than pleasantly surprised to see other vampires in the mix. They’d nodded at each other in acknowledgment but nothing more. Vampires, though they often formed clans, were pretty antisocial creatures when it came to their own kind and this suited Levi just fine. 

He sat down on a bench near a window and pulled the curtain back to look out at the view. The moon shone on the waves lapping at the shore and some of the party guests had spilled out onto the sand. He could hear their laughter and shouts but couldn’t make out faces. He briefly wondered where Erwin was but the thought quickly vanished as the silence in the room was interrupted by breathy giggles and a deep chuckle. 

“Oops! Sorry, didn’t know the room was occupied.” The girl said, her voice high pitched and sugary sweet; still breathy. The man she was still clinging to laughed and then got a good look at Levi, his blue eyes widening. 

“Marie, why don’t you go to the room next door and wait for me, hm?” He leaned in then, nibbling her earlobe and lowering his voice. “Go ahead and get yourself ready for me.” Levi could smell the girl’s blush and her arousal and it made him feel nauseous, she looked much too young for him. Levi watched, looking at the tall man and feeling like he’d met him somewhere before. The woman giggled and sauntered off. The man turned and walked further into the room, his arms clasped behind his back as he did so. He regarded the art work but otherwise stayed silent and it drove Levi mad.

“Isn’t there someone waiting for you?” Levi spoke, trying to keep his voice civil despite the fact he wanted to toss this man out the moment he barged in. Something about this man just didn’t sit right with him, though he couldn’t for the life of him figure it out.

“I’m well aware of her. She will wait as long as I need her to. That is, after all, what I have paid her to do.” Levi blinked at the man. Who would be so brazen about hiring a prostitute then bringing her to a party? Levi was certain this man must be mad.

“… I see. Then I suppose I’ll just find another room.” Levi stood then, dusting the dirt off his navy blue trousers, his hair loose and some of it hanging about his eyes.

“Waiting for my brother, are you?” The man spoke and his voice was laced with sticky sweet venom. Suddenly, it dawned on Levi who he was staring at. Of course! How could he be so absent minded? To be fair, he’d only ever met him once, but this was definitely Erwin’s brother Andrew; the very same one that had a wife and kids back in Britain.

“No, actually. Not that it matters. What I do is my business, I do not see how it is any of yours. We barely even know each other.” 

“Oh, I find that it is indeed my business. My brother may be … a molly but I can look the other way on that one. However, I know what you are and I don’t want you anywhere near my brother. My family may do business with your kind, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it or your kind one bit.”

“Wait a minute, sir. You’ve got the wrong idea. Erwin and I … we’re just friends.” Levi was genuinely confused. What in the world was this man on about?

“Don’t play stupid, you abomination. I see the way he looks and you, and you him. I’ve been watching it all night, and quite frankly it makes me sick. My brother is already a disgrace to the Smith name, but to be in relations with you is just too much. You are not to touch him again.”

Levi stared at the man, his eyes wide and his mouth open, but turned up at the corner in a smirk. “You’re joking.”

“I absolutely am not. You are not to touch him ever again, do you hear me, monster?”

Levi swallowed, his fists clenching at his sides as he began to feel the dull thrum of anger begin to spread through his veins. He took a deep breath, raising up as he straightened out his posture. Narrowing his eyes at Andrew, he opened his mouth to speak.

“Listen here, I have never touched your brother how you seem to think. If I had, it would be none of your business. He keeps his nose out of yours, you ought to do the same.”

“Don’t tell me how to treat my brother. I know what is best for him and —“

“Levi? Are you in here?” Erwin’s voice rang out in the hallway.

Levi’s focus shifted to the door, and he called out, “In here, Erwin. I’ve got company.” Levi couldn’t keep the anger out of his voice, and Andrew had the audacity to grin as Erwin came into the room, a confused look on his face. 

“What is going on in here?” Erwin’s voice was stern as he immediately switched from confusion to bristling with anger as he regarded Levi’s body language. “Andrew, what are you doing here?”

Andrew laughed, throwing his head back a little. “Really, Erwin. Why am I here? Marc is my friend, too. I was in the area on business and decided I’d come. Who knew I’d run into my baby brother and his …” Andrew trailed off, looking at Levi with a look of disgust. “His pet freak.” Andrew slid his hands into his pockets, walking a little, circling Levi as he did. “I have always known you were into strange things, Erwin. Ever since I walked in on you and that boy when you were thirteen. Depraved even then, so young. I knew it would only grow as you aged. I don’t know what’s wrong with you, Erwin. I can’t understand the men, but I can turn a blind eye. What confuses me so much is the sudden attraction to that.” He jerked his head toward Levi, who stood shaking in the centre of the room. 

“I already told you!” Levi spat. “It’s not like—“ Erwin held up a hand to silence him, and Levi felt dizzy as his body obeyed without his consent. 

“I can handle this, Levi.” Erwin looked at his brother in silence for a few seconds before stepping closer, his voice dangerous and low. He took a few deep breaths in through his nose. “Listen here, you disgusting piece of work.” His tongue flicked out at the corner of his mouth. “Levi and I are friends. Nothing more. Even so, you will not speak to him this way. He has every right to a normal life, just as you and I do.”

Andrew laughed then, his shoulders shaking with it. “I will speak to him as I please. He needs us to survive in this world! Without our family, he would be in hiding, he would be legally dead and wouldn’t be able to have rich men take him to fancy parties in foreign countries. You sure you’re not fucking him? It would make an awful lot of sense, the disgusting way you follow him with your eyes.” Andrew shuddered but shook his head. “However, I think I’ll be on my way now. I’ve got something very important waiting for me.” He chuckled again, heading for the door but Erwin was quick. He blocked his door, his fist connecting with the wall and making a loud bang. Andrew jumped, actually looking shocked for a moment.

“Important? More important than Helena or your sons? What’s she look like this time, Andrew? Another whore painted up like a doll? Too young for you, again? You say I’m the freak but I’m not blind and I’m not stupid. I’ve seen the women you buy and how they’ve slowly began to get younger and younger. What would Mother think, dear brother, if she could see you take those young girls to hotels, using them to fuel your sick fantasies?”

Andrew turned a violent shade of red and his voice was wild as he spoke. “You keep your mouth shut! You don’t know anything about me, Erwin. You know NOTHING.” 

Erwin didn’t so much as blink as his brother raised his voice. “Just as you know nothing of me. What I feel for Levi … or don’t feel is my business and my business alone. If you can have your life, then I can have mine. It pains me to say this, but if you promise to never speak a damn word to me again, then I will return the favor. We can live our lives as we please.” Andrew stared at him, shaking with rage but said nothing. He gave Erwin a rough shove and pushed past him, storming into the other room where the girl was waiting for him.

Levi stared at Erwin with wide eyes, incredibly confused and angry. Erwin looked much the same, but his eyes held a glint of fear and that only furthered Levi’s confusion. Erwin stayed up against the frame of the door, where he’d landed when his brother shoved him, his breathing hard. His hand came up and rubbed his jaw and his eyes stayed fixed to a point just past Levi. 

“I’m going back to the hotel.” He pushed away from the wall and walked away briskly, leaving Levi blinking at the empty doorway. He stood there a few moments more before he quickly walked out, jogged down the stairs and pushed his way through people as he neared an exit. Once he made it out of the house, he willed himself not to run; he wouldn’t run after Erwin. He told his brother nothing was going on between him, but it almost felt as if Erwin were saying something when he told his brother off. “What I feel for Levi …” It kept playing over and over in his head. Sure, that could mean nothing, but Levi knew now that he had to find out. He needed to know and he was going to find out tonight. He felt his resolve strengthen as he walked a little faster toward the hotel. 

Getting to his room felt like it took hours, and he felt as if his body were on fire as nervousness pooled in his belly. He took his coat off and his vest, unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt. He stood in front of the mirror and stared at himself. Smaller strands of hair had come loose from the ponytail at the nape of his neck, framing his face. He chuckled as he noticed a hint of color in his cheeks and it sent a thrill through him. He felt alive. This whole process was making him feel alive and he loved it. No matter what happened with Erwin he felt proud that he was brave enough to take this risk. He could practically hear his brother’s voice in his head, “About damn time, you idiot.”. He stood then, listening for any sounds coming from Erwin’s room. It sounded as though Erwin were pacing back and forth, he could hear him stop and the sound of glass, liquid pouring. Ah, he was drinking. Levi found he couldn’t blame him, but he did decide to give him a little more time to cool off. 

~~

Levi stood a while later, smoothing down his trousers and tying his hair back once more. He’d tried to keep himself entertained with a book but he was rife with nervous energy and the only thing that seemed to help pass the time was watching out the window. It was late enough that most were in but the ones that were out sure were lively. Taking a deep breath, he started for the door. It was now or never. He walked the few steps to Erwin’s door and listened for a moment. He could hear him inside, the scratch of a writing implement on parchment and Erwin’s steady breathing. Good, he was still awake. He took another breath and knocked hard on the door twice. He heard the noise stop and could make out the sound of fabric moving. 

“Who’s there?”

“Only me.” Levi hoped Erwin had missed the tremor in his voice as he spoke. He heard heavy footfalls as Erwin neared the door and swore he could feel his own heart beginning to beat again. The door opened and Erwin looked down at him, his face pale and worn. His eyes were puffy and red, his hair in a state of disarray as if he had been running his fingers through it while it was still tied back. 

“Is everything okay, Levi?”

“Well, yes. Yes it is. I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time?” Levi looked up at him, and he wished he could reach up and tame Erwin’s hair, kiss his forehead and tell him it was all going to be okay.

“Oh, sure. Of course, yes. Come in.” Erwin stood back and let Levi step in. “Would you like a drink?”

“Yes, please.” Levi looked around and set himself in the chair in front of the desk. Books and papers were strewn all about it and he smiled to himself, Erwin never could keep his space tidy. Yet it was always organized in a way that only Erwin himself could understand.

Erwin walked over to a small table and opened a bottle, pouring a small amount of the small liquid into two glasses. He walked over and handed one to Levi, taking a sip of his own. He regarded Levi for a moment before sitting on the bed across from him.

“Erwin, are you okay?” Levi sipped at his drink, reveling in the warm feeling it elicited as it slid down his throat.

A loud sigh filled the room and Erwin stood again, pacing. “Yes. I suppose I am fine, what choice do I have, really?” Levi watched him as he paced the floor, a hand in his pocket and the other holding his drink.

“You do have a choice, though. You don’t have to be okay with what he said to you. Or what he chooses to do, but I suppose you should figure out how you feel—“ Levi stopped as Erwin gave a snort.

“They don’t care what I think or how I feel! They never have, Levi. I’m just a burden on them. It’s why I travel. I don’t want to marry any of the women they tell me about, how can I? I can’t live a lie! I’m happy the way I am, with my friends and with my travels. I don’t need them!”

“No, you don’t, but your feelings are still important. You’ve got plenty of people that do love you and do care about you. I know it’s hard, but you’re strong. Whatever you choose to do with your family at this point will be for the best and you will come out on the other side stronger than before.”

Erwin stayed quite for a bit as he continued to pace. Levi didn’t dare press him. Eventually Erwin broke the silence.

“I’m sorry, Levi, for those horrible things my brother said to you, about you.” He looked at Levi then, a pained expression on his face.

“No! Don’t! Oh, Erwin, don’t even think on it.” Levi shook his head, his eyes wide. “I was angry, yes, but I’ve been called worse. It’s not a problem.”

“It’s doesn’t matter! He has no right to say any of that about you! He doesn’t know you like I do. If he did … No one should ever call you that!” Levi was puzzled by this sudden outburst but let Erwin continue. “If only he knew you like I did. If he could just see you as I do, then maybe he’d understand.”

“Understand what, Erwin? What is it about me that you think would change his opinion of me and my kind?”

Erwin walked across the room to the window, moving the curtain away and staring down at the street below. He tipped back the rest of his drink and set the glass down on the window sill, staying quiet for several moment. Levi could feel a change in the atmosphere of the room, anticipation tingled in his skin.

“There is much about you, Levi. Much I suspect you don’t even see in yourself.” He leaned against the window sill, shoving a hand in his pocket, continuing to look out at the street below. “I have been fascinated by you since I met you. No one had ever dared to speak to me like you had.”

Levi snorted, smiling to himself at the memory. He stayed quiet, hoping Erwin would continue.

“All my life I had been catered to by anyone that wasn’t family, it was quite common for me to get what I wanted, when I wanted, but then you happened. You changed the game the moment you walked into my house that night. I wouldn’t know why until I finally got you to let me speak to you again. Your tongue was so sharp and you had no qualms about speaking your mind. Levi, you treated me like a human - no, you treated me like an equal. Then I got to know you more …” He trailed off for a minute and rubbed a hand over his chin. “You were so eager to learn about anything. You asked me so many questions about my travels and soaked up each detail. You showed yourself to be incredibly intelligent and caring. You always put other people before you, something I’d not seen in others like you. God, and your passion! You get riled up about the things you care for so easily. I love it. A great sense of empathy, too. Levi, you’re so amazing. I wish I could be more like you … There’s so much about you I don’t know and I want to know but I’m scared to ask. I’m scared to get too close to you, Levi.”

“Why is that, Erwin?” Levi’s voice was soft but it still caused Erwin to jump, turning around to see Levi standing directly behind him. He looked down at him with slightly glassy eyes, his cheeks turning pink and spreading to the tips of his ears.

“I can’t. I’m not supposed to.”

“Why not?”

“Christian told me-“

“I don’t care what Christian said, Erwin. I’m an adult and so are you. What is really stopping you from getting closer to me?” Levi stared into his eyes, tilting his head a little. He reached a hand up and cupped Erwin’s cheek, running his thumb over his jaw. Erwin relaxed almost immediately as his eyes fluttered shut.

“You shouldn’t do this, Levi. I’ll only hurt you.” Erwin’s voice sounded strained and his whole body was tense. Levi continued to caress his jaw and smiled.

“That's what you think. I know you better than you do, I think. I’ve heard it all - you’re a playboy. You take lovers in other cities and countries to hide them. You’re not the marrying type, they say. That’s fine, I’m not either. The last relationship I was in was with a married man that I had little chance to settle down with. I … Erwin …” His voice broke off and he couldn’t trust himself to speak further. Erwin’s eyes opened and he gazed down at Levi with a sort of awe.

“There’s something about you. I’m drawn to you. Blast it, I can’t stop thinking about you! You’ve invaded every part of my life and I have nothing to do about it but surrender. I’m afraid I’ll hurt you, though, and that’s a thought I can’t bare.” He stared down at Levi, feeling warmth spread from his belly as Levi smiled up at him.

“Then don’t hurt me.”

“It’s not that simple, Levi.” Erwin’s tone was harsher now and he pulled away from Levi. “I’ve never … Levi, I’ve never been with someone like you. I already know it would be more than a one time thing. More than a passing fling.”

“Then allow it to be! Why are you denying yourself this? I want you, Erwin. I’ve wanted you since you came crawling to me with your tail between your legs. I am drawn to you as well, don’t you think we owe it to ourselves to see where this could go?”

“That’s exactly the problem, though. What if I allow this and then I meet someone else? Just one night with them would hurt you, I know it would! I’ve never been able to just keep to one person. Maybe it’s crass and maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t know if I can just stop all that.”

“Ah, but Erwin! You’ve met so many people on this trip. Some have all but sat naked in you lap to try and get the point across to you, and yet you’ve not been with anyone else since that night in London. Erwin, I’m not asking for you hand in marriage.” He smiled again, but didn’t advance toward him. “I’m simply saying that as two adults that are aware of their attraction toward each other, we should pursue it a little. If it ends in one night then so be it. I want to see what this could be for us, though.”

Erwin regarded him thoughtfully for a few moments as he rolled things over in his head. He desperately wanted this, and he’d had some inkling that maybe Levi had felt the same but the extent to which Levi felt had shocked Erwin. He watched as Levi crossed his arms loosely over his chest, leaning his hip against the wall. He was dressed casually and his hair was pulled back but some strands had fallen loose and framed his beautifully angled face. Erwin felt a familiar jolt of desire through his body as his eyes followed the column of Levi’s neck and down to the patch of chest that was exposed from his shirt. He longed, not for the first time, to know what that skin left like under his lips, what noises Levi would make if he were suck just there beneath his ear. Before he knew what he was doing, he was closing the small space between them. His hands cupped Levi’s face and he felt small hands circle his waist. He stared down into grey blue eyes that burned into his own. In the end, it was Levi who closed the space between their lips, raising up on the tips of his toes and pressing his lips firmly against Erwin’s. 

They stayed like that for a moment before Levi deepened the kiss, nipping at Erwin’s lip. Erwin let out a groan and moved a hand down to Levi’s back to push him closer. They kissed as if their lives depended upon it, neither willing to break it. Eventually Erwin pulled away, sucking in a deep breath and staring at Levi with wide eyes. Levi only grinned and pulled away. He chucked as a disappointed groan escaped from Erwin’s lips.

“Oh, no. I’m not done with you. I just think this is much better suited to be finished on the bed, don’t you?” He crawled on the bed and sat up on his knees, beckoning Erwin to him with a long, elegant finger. Erwin gave him a cat like grin, walking toward him slowly.

“Indeed, I do believe you are right.”


	9. 1800s Part Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple time jumps, smiles, pianos, and sadness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you all! It's finally here: the end of the 1800s! I hope you don't mind, but I had to do a few time jumps to get this thing finished. Otherwise we'd have been here for ages and I did not want that. 
> 
> Major character death in this chapter, so if the sadness is not your cuppa, you can just skip the bit before the final time jump. It's a longer chapter, but again that was very necessary to get it all finished!
> 
> Next up is 1944 and I'm super excited for you guys to read what Sphynx has written, it's pretty fascinating and awesome. (If I may be so bold.)
> 
> Thank you guys for sticking with me through this part, I know Eruri wasn't what some of you signed up for and thank you so much for sticking through this. As stated before, there is literally no more Eruri coming up, I promise. Started this with Eriri and it's gonna stay that way. *wriggles excitedly* So, to reiterate, Il n'y a pas Eruri as we move forward. *hands you all cookies* You're all dolls and I love you.
> 
> OH. Also, if you're like me and like to listen to music that's mentioned, then the piano song Levi is playing at the end of the first time jump is A River Flows In You - Yiruma. Yes, yes, he wasn't around in that time but ugh it just kinda fit for me, so I went with it. Feel free to YouTube if you want. :)

The trip home proved to be uneventful and Levi found himself thankful for that. The only big trip he’d ever taken in his lifetime was the one with his family to move to England and that had exhausted him. He found that a month long trip spanning multiple countries only proved to be, at least, seventeen times more exhausting. He cherished every moment and every memory made, but truth be told he was more than ready to be home - the familiar sights and smells, but more importantly his bed. When he got home he planned to give out souvenirs and then spend a whole week straight just laying in his bed. He might even invite Erwin to join him. At the thought of the other man he looked over at him and smiled. Erwin had fallen asleep and his face was pressed into the side of the carriage, lips slightly parted. His body swayed with the carriage and as they hit a bump in the road, Erwin fell forward a little and promptly fell backwards again, his head leaning on the back of his seat. Chuckling quietly, Levi leaned forward, reaching out to gently reposition Erwin’s head back against the wall to help prevent Erwin from getting a stiff neck.

Levi let his finger travel a short ways down Erwin’s neck, reveling in the feel of his pulse beneath his finger, and stopped at his collar. He pushed it aside and stared at the faint marks from where he’d fed from him the previous morning. A smile tugged at his lips as he recalled Erwin practically begging him for it. They had quickly discovered how pleasurable it was for both of them when Levi fed just before climax when they were together and Levi discovered just how much of a difference fresh blood made. Having only ever fed off the near dead or recently dead, he always felt sluggish. Or so he realized now. Fresh blood kept him longer and he had a lot more energy. When his face flushed, he was a brighter shade of pink and his eyes sparkled brighter in the light. Levi pressed a small kiss to the marks and sat back in his seat. He stretched and laid on his side, stretching out on the seat of the carriage. That first night with Erwin hadn’t been planned or thought through. Erwin woke up the next morning even more panicked than before they’d started. Levi had managed to calm him down they slowly realized it was going to be near impossible to stop now that it had started and even more startling, neither one of them wanted it to end. They spent all Erwin’s waking time together and spent more of it getting to know each other more deeply. They spoke with each other of things neither had trusted other people with and this both frightened and excited Levi. Now he just had to worry about Christian, and Levi decided that would not be a difficult job.

Time seemed to fly by and soon Levi began to recognize his surroundings. He smiled as they got into town and sat up, moving to sit next to Erwin. He crawled in his lap and leaned in to nuzzle his neck.

“Erwin.” He let his lips brush against the shell of his ear, his hands resting on Erwin’s chest. “Wake up, love. We shall arrive at my home soon.” He felt Erwin stir a tiny bit but knew he was still asleep. “Erwin, you are harder to wake than the dead.” He leaned down and kissed along his neck, stopping to suck at his pulse point. He heard Erwin give a bit of a groan. “Are you going to wake up now, you lump?”

“I think I need a little more convincing.” Came the sleepy reply. Levi grinned against his neck as he felt Erwin’s large hand come to rest on the small of his back.

“I will do such thing, sir. You need to wake up, we are almost to my house.” Levi pressed a small kiss to Erwin’s jaw and moved off of him, sitting back in his original spot.

Erwin smiled as he sat up straight to stretch. “Oh!” His eyes widened almost comically as a loud pop filled the small space. “That was very unexpected but incredibly welcome.”

“I bet. You have been sleeping in some strange positions. Your poor back. You are a cruel master.”

“I know, such is its lot in life. How near are we?” He yawned as he looked out the window. “Ah, not far at all, I see.”

They finished the short ride in companionable silence and as his house came into view, Levi grew antsy.

“Would you sit still? I’m getting nauseous just watching you.” Erwin chuckled at him, leaning over and resting his hand on his knee to prevent Levi from bouncing it anymore. Levi looked at him and immediately began to bounce the other. “Levi! Stop it.” Erwin’s other hand came out to hold his other knee still.

“I am just excited to be home, is all! I have not been from my family this long since I became apart of it. I am anxious to see how they’ve been.” An odd look passed over Erwin’s face at Levi’s words, but he smiled fondly.

“I know you are. I am sure they are just as anxious to see yo- would you sit down!” Erwin grabbed Levi’s hand and pulled him back down as the carriage rolled to a stop.

“We are stopped. You cannot restrain me a moment longer!” He quickly freed himself from Erwin’s grip and flew out the door. “Christian! Olivia! Ewan!” He ran up to the front steps and then quickly turned around to run back toward the carriage. He quickly began to help the man getting down his luggage.

Erwin had exited the carriage now and was standing back, watching Levi in amusement. The door opened and a jovial voice rang out over Levi directing the man with his luggage.

“You’re home!” Christian’s smile was wide. Levi’s head shot up and he raced toward the other man, knocking into him and wrapping his arms tightly around him.

“Christian! I’ve missed you!” Levi’s voice was muffled through the fabric of Christian’s shirt.

Christian wrapped his arms around Levi and chuckled, pulled away and smiling down at the shorter man. “I’ve missed you as well. It has been blissfully quiet without you here, and yet we have all missed you. You have definitely made your mark on us.” He ruffled Levi’s hair and went over to Erwin, pulling him into a hug as well. “It’s good to see you as well, Erwin.”

“Thank you, thank you. Nice to be home.” He grinned and stepped back, his hands going into his pockets as he leaned back against the carriage.

“I have presents!” Levi popped up beside them, seemingly out of nowhere. “So many presents!” Levi bounced on the balls of his feet and looked at Erwin, smiling wide. “I even have one for you, Erwin. A sort of thank you gift, if you will.”

“Oh, Levi… you didn’t have to do that.” Erwin’s eyes twinkled and his lips were pulled into a soft, fond smile.

“I know I didn’t. It’s just something I’ve been working on. Don’t worry. I am almost done, so you cannot have it just yet.”

Christian looked between the two of them, cocking his head and curiously sniffing the air. Neither of the other men noticed his eyes widen. “Levi. Perhaps we should get inside, yes? I’m sure Erwin is eager to have a lie down in his own bed and have a nice home cooked meal. Let us not keep him longer.”

“Oh, he is quite fine, I assure you.” Erwin looked at Levi, licking his lips. “I will leave you to your gift giving. I shall see you soon, yes?”

Levi bit at his bottom lip, smiling wide. “Of course you will. Have a good day, Erwin. Get some rest.”

Erwin nodded, still smiling. “Christian.” He nodded his head and looked back to Levi. “Levi…” He nodded again and hopped into the carriage, calling out to the coach to start toward his house.

Christian stood, arms crossed, watching Levi like a hawk. “You said something about presents?”

Levi’s head turned from watched the carriage retreat and child like excitement lit up his features. “Yes! Presents!” Levi bounded toward his luggage and lifted it off the ground, swiftly running into the house and dropping the bags on the sofa in the sitting room. Christian followed slower, lost in his thoughts. Digging through the bags he finally located a small box, lifting it with a triumphant exclamation.

“Christian, I have your gift. Where are you?” He walked back to the walkway and beamed as Christian drew near. “There you are! Come, I think you will like it!”

Christian came into the sitting room and sat in a high wing-backed chair across from the sofa covered in Levi’s luggage. Levi appeared before him and thrust a rectangular box into his hand. Christian glanced down at the box and gave a small smile as he looked back up at Levi. “Thank you, Levi.”

“Don’t thank me yet! Open it!” He grinned wide and bounced a little more as Christian chuckled, bending his head to look as he opened the box.

“Oh, Levi. It’s gorgeous…” Christian pulled a silken cravat from the box, a rich purple color with an intricate design made with thread of a lighter shade of purple. His thumb caressed over the fabric as he continued to stare at it. “Really, this is incredible.” He looked up again at Levi to see him beaming even wider.

“I am pleased you like it so much! I saw it and immediately thought of you because you love to dress nice even when we’re not at a party.” Levi chuckled, rubbing his hands together. “I have presents for everyone! Where are they?” Levi turned, heading toward the hallway.

“Levi, don’t bother them just yet. Let us go to the garden. I need to speak with you.” Christian placed the fabric back in the box and set it on the arm of the chair. He stood and started toward the back door.

“Oh…yeah, okay.” Levi watched him with large curious eyes, but quickly moved to follow him. They stayed silent until they reached the first small row of bushes, some of which were beginning to bloom their flowers. Christian walked a bit further and reached his hand out to cup a fully bloomed flower on one of the taller bushes. Levi watched as he leaned in and sniffed it before standing back up and letting out a sigh, his eyes closed.

“Christian…?” Levi hated how small his voice sounded, but he found himself suddenly filled with nerves.

“What happened on this trip?” Christian turned to look at Levi, a look of concern painting his features.

Levi blinked, tilting his head. “What happened? Did you really bring me out here to ask me about my trip? I do not understand why we could not have stayed inside for this conversation.”

“I mean with Erwin. What happened there?”

“I…”

“Levi, I can smell the bond. Did you think you could hide it from me? You really shouldn’t have done that.”

Levi’s eyes immediately widened. “Wait, what? What do you mean, bond?” Levi had no intentions to deny that he and Erwin were involved but he honestly had no clue what Christian was on about with the bond.

“Levi, I really can smell it. He reeks of you. It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“Well, we have been in a small space together for for quite some time, I’m sure that’s why he smells like me.”

Christian shook his head. “No, Levi. You know better than that. His scent has completely changed. He’s marked. He is bound to you completely.”

“What?! How? I thought you said we both had to agree to it!” Levi could feel a small bubble of panic forming in the pit of his stomach.

“You do but I’ve seen it happen just from two willing persons just wanting to feed. It’s tricky, really. There are a lot of factors that go into it - we don’t even fully understand it. Just the basics. As far I can tell it is more a magic that has to do with blood and intent more than it does with words. ”

“I didn’t know - I, I mean. Oh, god.” Levi’s mouth hung open slightly as he moved a little to sit down on a bench by the flowers. “Oh my god, I’m bonded to him?”

“It would definitely seem so. You didn’t feel it when it happened?” Christian sat beside him, furrowing his brows in confusion.

Levi shook his head slowly, trying to gather his thoughts. “Feel it?” He blinked and swallowed, his hands picking at a string on his shirt. “I suppose, maybe? There was one night…” Levi trailed off as his cheeks turned a light pink. “When I fed from him, the rush, it felt different. We both felt it. I remember afterwards, I laid with him and it was like I could more than just hear his heart beating in his chest, I could feel it in my own.” Levi trailed off then, looking at Christian as it finally sunk in.

“Oh, Levi. Are you okay?” Christian sat beside him, gently placing his hand on his shoulder.

“I think so? Erwin and I have talked about, well, us. We want to give it a run. I know he is not the type to settle down and I had no intentions of asking him to do so, but it seems as though he has no choice now.”

“He does, he can always choose to break the bond. No one is ever made to stay if they do not wish to. However, it can be a painful process to break a bond, but just know that it is an option, should he need that.”

Levi frowned deeply, staring down at the ground. How could he have been so careless as to let this happen? He was terrified to tell Erwin. They’d been able to reach an agreement but it all hinged on Levi and Erwin not letting it go too far past sex. Erwin was afraid to hurt him and he felt this was the easiest way for them to both have what they want while keeping each other safe in the process. Levi knew it was risky to agree to it, but he wanted to take what he could get from Erwin. He hadn’t felt like this for someone in ages and he was eager to take what he could get, but he was afraid that once Erwin found out about the bond that he would immediately request they break it and part ways. That was the only reaction he could have, was it not?

Levi sighed and looked back up at Christian. “I know you said we shouldn’t get involved, Christian. I do not think it could have been helped. I tried to keep my distance but the longer we were together, the more I longed to be with him. Is that so wrong of me?”

“No, not at all.” Christian sighed, smiling at him softly. “I should have known it was inevitable. I saw the way he looked at you then, and it scared me. As I told you, he has a bit of a reputation and I just wanted to protect you from that. I should have known better, because not only did I see how he looked at you, I saw how you looked at him. They way you two became friends so seamlessly after you finally talked to him. There was almost an instant chemistry and we all noticed it. In fact, Ewan and Viktor had a bet that this would happen.” He trailed off into a chuckle, shaking his head. “Looks like Viktor owes Ewan some money.”

Levi stared at him with his jaw hanging open. “A bet? On when Erwin and I - ?” He quickly gasped, moving his hand to whap Christian in the shoulder. “That is indecent and rude! Impolite! It’s…it’s immoral!” Levi stood, looking scandalized. “I can’t believe you! This is an outrage!”

Christian couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up. “Oh, Levi. It was a bit of fun, there is no need to be embarrassed.” He stood then, patting the top of Levi’s hair and sliding it down to cup his cheek. “You seem happy, Levi. I like seeing you this way. Go, go talk to Erwin. You need to be honest with him straight away.” Christian let his hand fall to Levi’s shoulder, smiling at him. “It is wonderful to have you home again, by the way. I shall see you later when you get back.”

\- - -

Erwin shut the door behind them after they got into his room. “Levi? Is everything okay?” His bed was littered with clothes and items from his travel bags, clearly still in the phase of unpacking. “I wasn’t expecting you at all, at least until tomorrow or the next day.”

Levi could feel his eyes on him as he prowled the room, looking at everything in the room but Erwin. He walked over to the map that still hung on the wall, reaching up to touch some pins when he realized there was now a third color now among the reds and blues. A white pin was now stuck in beside the blues that were stuck in the countries they had just returned from. Levi blinked in surprise and turned, finally, to face Erwin. “Are those pins, are they me?”

Erwin’s eyes widened and he quickly looked away. Levi could smell his blood rushing to his cheeks. “Ah, well, yes. They are. I thought maybe, perhaps, I could begin to track for you as well. We travel well together, you see, and there are so many more places you want to go - and places that I want to go as well. It was just a thought, I was going to ask you about it when I saw you next. Feel free to say no, it just seemed like an agreeable situate—“ Erwin was abruptly cut off, Levi suddenly gripping his shirt and, lifting himself up on the tips of his toes, pressing his lips to Erwin’s. Almost instantly, he relaxed into it. His arms crept around Levi’s waist and pulled him closer as Levi’s own arms snaked around his neck. Levi deepened the kiss and Erwin eagerly obliged, sliding his tongue along Levi’s, causing the smaller man to make a pleased noise.

Levi felt Erwin pull away and step back, an amused look on his face. “Not here.” He said, smiling as Levi licked at his own lips.

“Right, it’s not safe here. I do apologize. I had no self-control in the moment.” Levi paused, stepping back toward the map. “I love the idea. I think it is the best one you’ve had yet.” Levi’s bright smile faltered after a second and he chewed on his bottom lip. “There is something I need to discuss with you, though.”

“Is that so?”

Levi could feel the atmosphere in the room change immediately. He was suddenly twice as nervous as before and felt as though he was trapped. His mind reeled for a moment as he felt his heart begin to beat faster - no, not his his heart. Erwin’s heart. He was feeling Erwin’s emotions probably just as strongly as Erwin was and it made him feel dizzy. Blinking slowly he moved further into the room and away from Erwin, letting out a sigh as he felt the effect of Erwin’s emotions a little less.

“Levi, you have to say something. Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Erwin was growing more concerned by the minute and he hesitated in moving toward the smaller man.

“I’m sorry, you’re a little overwhelming right now, is all.” He looked across the room at him and cleared his throat. “You know about vampires and their mates, right?”

“I daresay I do, Christian all but raised me. I probably know more than he realizes I do. Why do you ask?” Erwin spoke, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Christian spoke with me after you left. I’ve apparently bonded us.” He figured direct was the best way to go. No need dragging it out when he could just throw it out there and get it all taken care of.

“You did what?”

“Erwin, please don’t be upset with me! I didn’t know I was doing it, I mean, how could I? I was under the impression that we both had to specifically state we wanted it. I - I’m old, yes, but I’m incredibly knew to this way of life as what I am. Christian, everyone, is still teaching me. I didn’t have the best environment after I was turned…” Levi trailed off, sighing and running his hand over his face. Thankfully, Erwin stayed quiet. “They can be broken. This isn’t something you’re forced to go along with.”

The room was silent for the longest moments Levi had ever lived though. Erwin stared at him as if he were staring right thought him and Levi could feel his dread. He watched him, not breathing, unsure of what to do. This could very well be the end of their short friendship and even shorter time as lovers. Levi blinked and looked away from Erwin. He wished he could read the other man’s mind.

“Erwin, I didn’t do this intentionally. I need you to know this. I was fine with our agreement, this was a complete accident. I don’t want this to end what we have. You, God Erwin, you’re—“

“It’s okay, Levi. I believe you, no need to plead your case.” Erwin’s voice was soft, his eyes focused on the open window. “I know basic knowledge of how bonds are formed and I also thought that it had to be said. Who knew. I suppose if nothing else this shows that we have not been entirely honest with ourselves.” Finally, he looked at Levi, an unsure smile tugging at his lips.

“We haven’t…?” Levi tilted his head.

“Levi, darling, if we did not want to be together then we would not be bonded. I knew my feelings for you were different than I had felt in a while but it seems they ran deeper than even I was aware of. Perhaps the same for you.”

“Oh…” Levi looked away, embarrassed. “I suppose I knew my feelings ran deeper, I was just not aware it would make a difference.”

“Yet what a difference it has made!” Erwin laughed as he spoke and Levi tilted his head, watching him with a smile. “Tell me, Levi. What are your thoughts on Liverpool?”

Levi blinked a few times at the sudden change in topic. “Liverpool? I fail to see what this has to do with what we are discussing, Erwin.”

Erwin crossed the room and placed a finger under Levi’s chin, tipping his head up. “Let us go down that way, yeah? See what we can find for ourselves that might be suitable enough to live in.”

“Are you serious?”

“Incredibly. If this is how it is meant to be, then I do not want to be away from you. Just say you will go with me, please.” He ran his thumb over Levi’s bottom lip.

“Of course I will.” Levi grinned, pressing a small kiss to Erwin’s thumb.

————————

_**1911 Liverpool, England** _

Levi sat at the piano in the sitting room of his and Erwin’s home, his fingers expertly gliding over the keys. Music filled the room and spilled out into the corridors and rooms, coating the house. Over the years, Erwin had taught him how to play and he loved it. Sometimes he played songs of his own making and other times he played popular ones they’d heard in concert, ones Erwin had fallen in love with. Erwin was very big on the theatre and the orchestra and over the years they had been to many in many different countries. Today, Levi was playing a particular favorite of Erwin’s, smiling as he knew the older man would be also. Levi could picture him propped up in bed with a hand in the air as his fingers traced out the movements of the music, a smile on his face; he would be humming along and also humming for other instruments that were not currently present. It had become a tradition of theirs, nights when Erwin could not sleep or was up late due to work, Levi would play for him and Erwin would distract himself by playing conductor as well as orchestra. It was something that up until recently Levi did not realize how much he adored that time of theirs; both of them laughing and singing, sometimes making up words for the music. Chuckling to himself, Levi looked up as he heard a noise. Lyra, the housekeeper, was standing in the doorway smiling kindly at him.

“Master Erwin is requesting you.” Her voice was soft, mixing in with the music. He slowed his playing and finished the piece.

“Is he well?” He asked as he stood, smoothing out his trousers.

“He is, just wants to see you is all. I’ll bring up tea, sir.”

“Thank you, Lyra. That would be quite lovely.” He smiled at her and walked up to their room, knocking on the door before he entered.

“Ah, there you are.” Erwin grinned up at him from his position in the bed and patted the spot beside him. “That was a lovely piece you just played. Was that for me?”

Levi smiled and moved to sit where Erwin had indicated, moving his hand out to smooth down Erwin’s short grey hair. “Oui, every note of it.” He let his hand trail down to caress Erwin’s cheek. “Well, maybe every other note. Some of them were for my secret lover.”

“I should have known! That bastard, I’ll have his head for stealing my notes!”

Levi gasped in mock outrage. “Shouldn’t you want his head for stealing me? Not just your precious notes? Which aren’t even yours to begin with, may I remind you.”

“No, no. The notes are all mine. As are you. You can’t leave me, you know it would break my heart because then who would play the piano for me?” Erwin beamed at him

“Oh, so you just keep me around for my piano playing, then?”

“Of course. I thought I made that clear when we moved here and I began to teach you the piano?”

Levi laughed and leaned in to kiss Erwin’s forehead. “I see someone is feisty this afternoon.”

“I am, I wonderfully rested. I feel as if I could walk to the kitchen and get myself some tea biscuits.”

“If that’s a hint, the answer is no. Lyra is making tea and I’m sure she’ll have some biscuits on the tray for you as well. But really, how are you feeling today? You were still sleeping this morning when I left to go meet Christian, and still when I returned home.” Levi moved his hand back up, running his fingers over Erwin’s scalp, massaging it.

“Well, after the night I had, I had to get caught back up on my sleep.” Erwin’s smile faltered just a little with his words, his hand reaching out to rest on Levi’s thigh.

“Last night was rough. You had me really scared for a while.” His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke, his mind replaying the previous night.

About year ago, Erwin had begun complaining of pains in his chest. Levi noticed he was having a hard time breathing in some cases, and he could smell it when Erwin would occasionally cough up blood. The doctor simply put it up to Erwin’s age, as it was not common to live this long and he wasn’t sure how he could treat him. As time went on the doctor became more strict with Erwin’s treatments, eventually landing him completely bed ridden and on a cocktail of pain relievers and medications to help him sleep. Levi found it odd they could do nothing to help him, only to mask what was going on. Yet, it was a great deal better than what they’d had when he was a child. It seemed, though, that Erwin only got worse over time. Levi had long since stopped feeding from him, choosing once again to haunt his old hunting grounds of the sick and dying and each time having to push the image of Erwin being the one dying beneath him. Feeding from Erwin was too dangerous as he got older, it took too long for him to recover and Levi found that as they gave him more medications his blood began to taste of chemicals. He much preferred the less fresh fare from the medicated. It just seemed in the recent days that Erwin was only getting worse, and it was a thought that scared Levi. He had always known that he would lose Erwin one day, that’s what happens when you’re in love with a human.

That didn’t mean this would be easy for him or that he was ready. His time with Erwin had felt like the shortest time in his life and yet he knew it wasn’t. They’d had years, many wonderful years together and Levi was so incredibly thankful for each and every day they were given together. Seeing Erwin last night, however, had scared him more than he’d been scared in years. Erwin had tried to get out of bed, only to end up falling and hurting himself. When they finally found him and got him back in bed, he was having trouble breathing. Levi gave him some medicine to help with the pain and Erwin spent most of the night fighting sleep. He’d bed Levi to distract him, keep him awake somehow and it was Erwin’s fear that fueled Levi’s. Erwin had always been okay with dying - they’d talked about it many time. Yet, last night it seemed the last thing Erwin wanted was to fall asleep, even with Levi right there next to him. He was antsy and a bit out of sorts, having some moments where it seemed he had forgotten which stage in life he currently resided in. Levi had calmed him, speaking to him gently and reminding him of where he was. He had spoken to Erwin about one of their last trips out of the country, grounding him back in the now and finally read to him. Eventually, Erwin couldn’t fight the siren call of sleep and closed his eyes, falling into a deep slumber. Levi stayed with him as long as he could, until he knew he had to get up and dress for his breakfast with Christian.

“I’m fine, Levi. You know how those medications make me feel sometimes.” He smiled softly and squeezed Levi’s thigh. “Oh, I have been meaning to ask. Have you purchased our tickets yet?”

Levi laughed and shook his head. “You’re still on about that, then?”

“Of course I am! How could I not be and risk you forgetting?” He grinned, then, playfully.

“Come off it, old man. We’re not taking that damned ship to America.” He quipped, rolling his eyes affectionately.

There was a small knock on the door and Levi looked up to see Lyra smiling at them.

“Tea’s ready. I’ve already made yours, Master Erwin. Three sugars and just a splash of cream.” She walked over and set the tray on the bedside table.

“I am forever indebted to you, Lyra. You are most certainly a gift from God himself. Say, how would you like to accompany Levi and I on a ship to America?”

“Erwin!” Levi began, chuckling. “Do not drag her into this, that is cheating!”

“Oh, the Titanic? I would love to! I have heard how grand the rooms are! Oh, it would be lovely to go.”

“I agree wholeheartedly, Lrya. Levi, however, is not so easily swayed. He says no.” He lowered his eyes, puckering his lips in such a way that it was just barely a pout. Lyra laughed and shook her head.

“I have good reason! Ships are instruments of the devil and they sink.”

“Levi, ships have been sailing over oceans for longer than you’ve been alive and, would you believe it, not all of them sink!”

“Master Erwin has a point, Levi. Ships are very safe.”

“Mm, tell that to all the people lost at sea.”

Lrya laughed again as she helped Erwin sit up further, handing him his cup of tea. “It cannot all be doom and gloom, sir. It would be a long trip though.”

“Exactly. I do not wish to spend that much time confined to a ship in the middle of nothing but water.”

Erwin chuckled, sipping on his tea and coughing a little. “Oh, okay. Just dash my last hope and dream.”

“You only get to use that once, Erwin, and you have already used it.”

“Oh, Master Levi has a point, Sir. You had that large trip a couple years back.”

“Wounded. I am wounded!” Erwin smiled, reaching out for a biscuit to dip in his tea.

Lyra laughed, leaving the room to tend to her other duties. Levi stayed with Erwin for the rest of the afternoon, changing into more comfortable clothes and lounging with him in bed. Levi read the paper to him and caught him up on all the latest passed on from Christian. Soon the sun began to go down and Erwin gave a small stretch, yawning.

“When was the last time you fed, love.” Erwin looked over at him, reaching out to play with his hair a bit. Levi closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, sighing with contentment.

“A few days ago, why do you ask?”

“You seem to be losing color, and you’ve been quite lazy today. I have not seen you willingly spend a whole day in bed without being bribed somehow.” He joked.

“Hush, you.” Levi leaned in closer as Erwin began to massage his scalp. “I just want to spend time with you, is that so bad?”

“No, not exactly. You have to feed, though, Levi. It is too dangerous to let yourself go too long without.”

“I am well aware, sir. I know my limits. Right now you are more important. I really just want to be near you right now.”

Erwin leaned in a bit more and kissed the top of his head. “I know you do, and I am glad. I just wish you would not put yourself last.”

Levi chose to stay quiet, having nothing to say in response. Instead, he laid down on the bed and scooted closer to Erwin, laying his head on his lap. He smiled as Erwin’s fingers began to massage at Levi’s scalp. He closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of Erwin’s fingers and on the sound of his breathing and his heart beat, feeling complete. They stayed that way in silence for a few moments, until Erwin clearing his throat cut through the empty air.

“You could always feed from me…”

Levi cracked an eye open and turned his head a bit to look up at Erwin. “That is out of the question.”

Erwin’s face fell and he sighed, looking up and toward the window. The sun was almost fully set, bathing the room in a rich golden color, and Levi watched as Erwin soaked up the view, a frown still on his face.

“Erwin, my love, you know I wish I could.” Levi’s voice was soft, filled with concern for this sudden change in attitude.

“I know. You’re right, it’s too dangerous and I don’t wish for my death to be on your hands because I can’t handle the physicality of being fed from.” Erwin’s eyes never strayed from the window. “I miss it, Levi. I miss you needing me like that.”

Levi snaked his hand up to cup Erwin’s cheek, running his thumb over his jaw. “Oh, Erwin, do not think for one second that I do not need you. I miss it, too. Very much. You know that.”

“I know, I am just simply being silly. I’ve been thinking about that a lot though, how much I miss being with you like that, how I miss you depending on me to help sustain you.”

“I miss it too.” Levi’s voice was barely above a whisper, his hand still on Erwin’s cheek.

“It must be hard for you, Levi. To still be young in body yet be with someone who cannot fulfill you like you have been used to.” A faint blush rose to Erwin’s cheeks and Levi smiled.

“Was that a pun?” Levi laughed a little at his own joke until Erwin’s fingers stopped their work and left his hair, coming down again to whap the top of his head instead. “Ouch!”

“One must be punished when one makes a bad pun whilst their lover is trying to have a serious conversation. Bad Levi.” Erwin’s eyes shone in the light as he looked down at Levi, his lips pulled up in a grin. “No, it was not a pun. It was a serious thought of mine. I would greatly appreciate it if you would take me seriously.” His voice was firm, but Levi could tell he wasn’t upset.

“I do apologize, my love.” He sighed then, reaching to take Erwin’s hand and place it back on his hair. “I suppose sometimes are harder than others. I have no issue abstaining, hell, most of my life has been abstaining from something or another. I understand though, I miss being intimate with you, Erwin. Not just sex either, sometimes just feeding, sometimes just kissing and touching. Just - just being with you, like that.”

“I know exactly what you mean. I’m sorry I can’t be that for you. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to be that for you in a long time.” He frowned.

“I wish you wouldn’t apologize for things like that, Erwin. It is not your fault. You have done none of this on purpose. And you are still so many things for me, you are still so very important to me. The other things, they do not matter… All that matters is that you know I love you.”

“I do know that. I know it well. You’re the best that that has ever happened to me, Levi. I feel like I should take this moment to thank you.” Erwin smiled softly down at the vampire.

“Thank me? What have you to thank me for?”

Erwin laughed, his eyes twinkling. “What do I have to thank you for, indeed. Levi, I have everything to thank you for.”

Levi tilted his head as best he could from his position, staring up curiously at Erwin, and stayed quiet to let him continue.

“You came into my life unexpectedly, Levi. You came in and you turned it completely upside down. Everything I thought I knew about life and myself - up became down around you. You’ve stood by me through my whole life, even when you knew I was wrong. God, Levi, you even helped me mend the rift between my brother and I. There were plenty of times you should have left me without looking back, yet you never did. You loved me unconditionally and cherished me at my worst. So thank you, Levi. Thank you for making my life as fulfilling as you have, thank you for your smile, thank you for your love. Thank you.” His eyes had started to shine in the light of the sunset and Levi quickly looked away, sitting up.

“Erwin, this sounds suspiciously like a good-bye.” He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, his legs dangling off, looking down at his hand resting on the bed beside Erwin’s.

“You can take it as that if you wish, love.” Erwin’s voice was soft, but there was a odd edge just under the surface.

“No, no. Erwin, there is still time left for you. There is no need for a goodbye. Look at you, you’re feeling fine today. You’ve been awake today much longer than you have been in recent days. You’re getting better, I can tell. There’s still time…” Levi felt Erwin shift beside him and pull him into his chest.

“Levi, darling,” Erwin’s voice was muffled as he buried his nose into Levi’s hair. “We both know what is to happen. I understand that you feel uncomfortable with good-bye as of right now, but please do not deprive me of my right to tell you what I am feeling.” He pressed a small kiss to Levi’s temple, keeping his eyes closed.

Levi said nothing, only leaned into the man, curling into his warmth. They stayed like that for many moments, the only sound that of Erwin’s steady breathing. Levi knew he was kidding himself, Erwin was on borrowed time and it could be any day now that he would leave him, like all the others he had loved. The thought alone was enough to make Levi feel as if someone had stabbed him in the belly, twisting the blade and opening him to his throat. Part of him resented himself for allowing this to happen, but the other part of him, the more sensible part, realized that this was a life worth living. One filled with love and not isolation, one of laughter and friendship, love, and heartache. How else would he ever remember what it felt like to be human?

He’d tried at one point to convince Erwin to let him turn him into a vampire. Erwin barely stopped to consider it before he had laughed quietly and looked at Levi with an odd expression on his face. He had shook his head and simply said that he didn’t think he could handle the idea of being alive eternally. Crestfallen, Levi had nodded his head. It had hurt but he had understood all too well. He remembered when he and his brother would talk about all the things they had wanted to do before they died. Oh, the days long gone when Levi had goals he wished to achieve before he took his final breath. Now that time stretched on further than he could comprehend he wasn’t as urged as before and he definitely understood why Erwin would want to meet his end, as all humans should. He couldn’t deny the selfish part of himself was upset, but he could not bring himself to ask Erwin again. They’d talked it over, days later, when Erwin noticed Levi was still sulking about and Erwin had done his best to cheer him up.

“Levi, are you still with me here?” Erwin’s voice startled him a bit and he chuckled as he moved to sit up again.

“Right here, I promise. Just reflecting on things.” He gave Erwin a shy smile, locking eyes with him.

“And are the matters you are reflecting upon good?” A sly grin tugged at Erwin’s lips, knowing what Levi was trying to say without actually saying it.

“Oh, Erwin.” He leaned in, his lips just barely touching Erwin’s. “They’re amazing. I could not have ever asked for anything better.” He closed the tiny gap then, pressing his lips firmly on Erwin’s. Erwin made a noise of contentment and cupped Levi’s cheek. Levi smiled into the kiss and pulled away.

“Levi,” Erwin’s voice was thick, and Levi couldn’t quite place the emotion behind it. “You need to feed. You have no color, it has been too long, love.”

“Erwin…”

“No, Levi. I need you to go. Only one of us in poor health at one time, please. Lyra can only take so much.” He smiled again, but Levi noticed that while the smile reached his eyes there was something else shining in those sky blue eyes.

Heaving a sigh, Levi stood up. “Alright. I shan’t be long, though. So no secret lovers over.”

“Ah, bugger. I’ll tell Lyra to turn Antonio away at the door. He should know by now there is no one else for me but you.”

“Good.” Levi smiled and bent to kiss his forehead, smoothing his short hair back. “I won’t be long. If you have failed to fall back asleep when I return, would you like some more tea?”

Erwin swallowed, nodding his head. “If I am awake, that would be wonderful. Be safe, Levi. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Levi straightened up and walked out of the door, had he turned back he would have seen Erwin watching him go, silent tears filling his eyes and escaping down his cheeks.

__

Out in the streets, Levi had chosen his prey. There was a man by a river, sick and almost dying from the cold. Getting close, Levi focused on him, concentrating hard on making the man fall into a deep sleep. Once he knew the man would not be disturbed he closed in on him and pulled his arm up to push his sleeve down, exposing his wrist. The man smelled of alcohol and Levi halted his breathing so that he could drink from the man without feeling nauseated from the stink. The man gave a small jerk as Levi sank his teeth into his skin. Closing his eyes, he relaxed as the liquid flowed into his mouth and down his throat. He could feel the heat coming back to his body, and could feel his strength returning. When nothing more came, he gently set the arm back down and said a silent prayer for the poor man he had just used. Pushing the usual feelings of post-feeding guilt out of his mind, he stood and began to walk back in the general direction of his home. He reveled in the feeling of the cold on his skin, and smiled to himself as he pulled his coat tighter around his body.

He was glad Erwin had convinced him to leave, he always procrastinated these days when it came to going to feed because he was often loathe to leave Erwin. But, as always, Erwin was easily able to get him out of the house for a bit and each time Levi always felt a million times better than he did before he stepped out of the house. There was a spring in his step and a smile on his face as he walked faster toward his home. He hoped Erwin would still be awake, he had enjoyed their time together and was eager for more. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, something felt off. He looked around but could sense no one near by, sniffing the air he reaffirmed that he was indeed alone. The sun had set long ago and most people were asleep at the moment. He tilted his head and closed his eyes when he suddenly felt it - the faint beating of a heart. His brows furrowed as his lips turned down into a frown. He focused on the sound and rhythm, feeling it begin to slow. His eyes widened dramatically.

“Erwin.” His voice was barely a whisper but the sound of his own voice shook him from his daze and he began to run forward. “No, no. Erwin, no!”

He cursed himself for going so far from the house, he knew he should have stayed closer, yet he had felt compelled to go out further. It didn’t take him long to reach the house at all, however, as he ran at top speed without care of who may glimpse his figure blurring past them. He had to get to Erwin, had to wake him up, had to…had to…

By the time he reached the house he could no longer feel Erwin’s heart, he could hear nothing either. Flinging he door open, he barely registered Lyra’s scream of surprise as he dashed up the stairs, unaware of the cries breaking free from his throat. Shaken, Lyra followed him. If Levi was this upset, something must have happened, but what? She had just checked on Erwin a few minutes ago and he had been sleeping peacefully. Still, she followed as quickly as she could and had to grip the door frame for support when she got to the room.

Levi was kneeling beside the bed, shaking Erwin, calling out to him. “Erwin, Erwin darling. Please wake up! You can’t do this to me!” His body was shaking and he reached out to cup his cheek, tapping it lightly, then harder as his voice became more frantic.

“Erwin! Damn you, wake up!” Dry sobs were escaping from his throat, causing him to stutter over his words. “You bastard! You didn’t wait for me! You sent me away on purpose, didn’t you?! Wake up and answer me!” When his hand tired of hitting him it slid down to his chest and Levi balled his fist in the fabric of this night clothes. He moved up to the bed and curled close to the body, taking Erwin’s arm to drape it lightly over his waist. The sobs continued to assault his body but he refused to leave where he was, not while Erwin still had just the slightest sliver of warmth in his skin and while his scent still lingered in the air. He wasn’t aware of how long he stayed like that, but eventually he felt strong hands grip his shoulders and gently shake him.

“Levi, Levi. Let’s let the doctor do his business. Come on, there we go.” The voice was familiar and soothing, and Levi blinked his eyes back into focus as he was lifted out off of Erwin, and a small whine left his throat. “Shh, I know. I know, Levi. Come with me, come on… Yes, this way.” The hands on his shoulders guided him out of the room and Levi turned to look over his shoulder, watching the doctor go into the room and go to the bedside. Levi felt like everything was in slow motion and as he was guided further from the room, he slowly turned his head back to face the front. Soon he felt himself being helped down the stairs and ushered into the kitchen, he heard the scraping of wood on wood, and felt himself lower to sit. Resting his arms on the table, he stared at his hands numbly.

“Levi,” The voice was closer and to his right. He blinked and turned toward the noise. “There we go, focus on me. Would you like some tea?”

“…Christian?” Levi’s voice sounded far away to his own ears.

“Yes, love. It’s me. You caused me quite a scare, just then. I could feel your energy, Levi. I could feel it. I came as soon as I could, Lyra had gone for the doctor and I arrived as they did. Would you like some tea?” Levi stared at him in a daze, nodding absently. Christian rose from his crouch beside Levi and set about to boil some water. Closing his eyes, Levi imagined the noises he could hear were from Erwin. Erwin was the one rummaging about in the cupboards for the tea tins, those were his shoes clicking on the floor. Erwin, there was no reason for it not to be Erwin, right? His eyes shot open after a moment and he found he was standing, walking towards the parlor where the piano was kept. He sat down on the bench and ran a slender finger over the surface of the keys. His mind raced as he tried to choose which song he wanted to play. His fingers began to pick at the keys before he even knew he’d settled on a song. It was one they’d heard at a concert of a lesser known pianist and Erwin had fallen in love with it instantly. Levi had loved the way Erwin’s fingers had twitched as they listened, his eyes closed, as if he were imagining he were the one playing the song. Levi quickly began to commit the song to memory and all that week they would sit at the piano nearly all evening, piecing it back together with both their memories and piano skills. When Levi finally mastered it, Erwin demanded he play it at least twice a night and when it wasn’t echoing though the corridors, Levi could hear Erwin humming the notes, his fingers undoubtedly twitching by his side.

The music was soft and moved gently through the house, Levi closed his eyes once more and let his fingers take over. He hoped, in vain, that somehow the notes might contain a locked secret of the universe, one that could rewind time or perhaps erase memories. As the notes floated up and around him he let every memory he had of Erwin wash over him, the good memories, the awful memories, every time Erwin had laughed, each touch they had shared, and as the song began to slow down into it’s finish, he reflected back to just before he left, that look in Erwin’s eyes, the tone of his voice…it fit the tone of the notes as they ebbed into finality. When he finished he looked up as he heard someone walking into the parlor. Christian stood there, his eyes sad and worried, and he locked eyes with Levi. Levi could tell he was distracting him and felt compelled to look at what was going on behind him. He pulled his eyes away and focused instead on Lyra, who was standing with the front door open, tears streaming down her face; watching as men carried away Erwin’s body.

Levi stood abruptly, knocking the piano bench over. He moved swiftly toward the door but Christian overpowered him and gripped his arms tight.

“Levi, look at me. Levi.” Christian’s voice had taken an authoritative tone and Levi felt his eyes shifting to lock with the other man’s against his will.

“Erwin…” Was all he managed, not even caring if it sounded like a whine.

“I know, love. They have to do this. You have to let them do this, okay? That’s not Erwin anymore.”

The pain in Christian’s eyes was too much for Levi, so he clenched his eyes shut tight, and took in several deep breaths through his nose. Allowing himself a moment, he leaned into Christian’s chest and clung to him. Waiting until Lyra shut the door behind the men before he let out a small noise.

“Come, Levi. Let’s get back to that tea, yeah?” He stepped forward and reached his hand out for Levi’s. Levi looked at it blankly.

“I’ve some letters to write. Will you begin to draw all the curtains?”

Christian nodded, and stepped away from Levi. “Whatever you wish, my child.” Moving quietly, he went to find Lyra to ask for her help.

Heading up into the study, he sat down at Erwin’s desk and gathered the necessary items for his task. Turning in the chair, his knee bumped into a drawer that was slightly ajar. Curiously, he pulled it open and looked inside. Laying on top of some books was a packet, he picked it up and turned it over to examine it. On the other side, Erwin’s perfect cursive labeled it as his last will and testament. He sat staring at it, not daring to opening just yet, for ages until he heard footsteps. Looking up, he saw Christian with a cup of tea. He set the packet down on top of the desk as Christian came closer, setting the cup and saucer hear him.

Levi propped his elbows on the desk and cradled his head in his hands. “Christian, what am I to do?” He heard a sigh and felt Christian’s hand come to rest on his shoulder.

“Whatever it may be Levi, do know that you will not have to do it alone.”

__

_**Southampton, April 10th 1912.** _

The noise of the crowd was incredible, and Levi had trouble pushing his way through throngs of onlookers. He was glad, however, that the sun had decided to shine bright on this day, barely a cloud was in the sky. He could feel the excitement from the crowd and found it to be rather infectious. Grinning, he bounced forward, gently maneuvering through people. He threw a look over his shoulder and laughed loudly.

“Do try and keep up, Christian!”

“Do try and not be a bastard, Levi!” Christian replied in a sing-song voice.

Levi moved forward a little more and stopped as he came to the railing, staring out at the large ship. “Look at it, Christian! Have you ever seen a ship so large?”

“I can honestly say that this is a first for me.” He was standing just behind Levi now, a note of awe in his voice.

“I had heard it was large, but this is amazing!” He laughed a little, watching as people boarded the ship. “There is absolutely no way Erwin could have forced me onto this beast.”

“Even if he did, he would have never found you. There are too many hiding places on a vessel of this size.” He chuckled, nudging Levi’s shoulder.

Levi looked embarrassed as he recalled the memory. “Did that bastard tell you about the ferry ride you France?”

“He did. He told me about it and laughed jovially as he did so.” Christian smirked at him, eyes flickering back to those loading onto the ship, had dipping into his vest pocket. “Almost time.” He remarked as he glanced down at his pocket watch.

Levi leaned forward with his arms on the railing and smiled, breathing in the fresh sea air. It had been so long since he had felt this carefree, this happy. He still had his days, of course, he missed Erwin greatly, but he was learning to cope. He’d done it before and each time he’d come out stronger on the other side. He looked up at the ship, scanning the passengers on deck waving at them, and a small girl being held by her father beamed at him and waved. He grinned wide and waved back.

“Bon voyage, petite chérie!” His voice didn’t carry far enough for her to hear, but the sentiment remained the same.

He continued to wave as the ship blasted her horns and slowly began to pull away from the dock. They stayed until most of the crowd had cleared after the ship had gone too far for them to really see anything any longer. Some number of people still milled about, talking amongst themselves and heading up the road to invade the pubs intent on furthering their merriment. Levi turned toward Christian and smiled softly, thrusting his hands into his pockets and starting to stroll along the road.

“Thank you for coming with me, Christian.”

“Anytime, son. I was glad to do it.”

“Do you think he’s out there somewhere, having a grand adventure?”

Christian tilted his head, amusement lighting up his face. “Erwin you mean?”

“Of course! Not long before he passed, a book came out and I had picked it up for Lyra’s daughter but Erwin saw it and asked me to read it to him. Of course I indulged him, he so loved reading. Anyway, in one of the chapters the characters are in a sticky situation and it seems as though there is no way out, when one of them suddenly speaks, ‘To die would be an awfully big adventure.’ The minute the words left my mouth Erwin had me stop and read the passage again. It became a favorite of his. So I wonder, what kind of big adventure is he on?”

Christian was grinning at him as they continued walking leisurely, basking in the sun. “I’m sure it is the greatest one he has been on yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, also, on a personal note, I know some of you were praying and keeping us in your thoughts.
> 
> MY MOM IS CANCER FREE. The doctor won't give her the official clear, because of some spots, but as far as the original cancer she had IT IS GONE AND SHE IS CANCER FREE. Couple more tests to clear the spots, but yep! This is the best news to start the holiday season with! *decks halls and rocks around trees*


	10. 1944: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter was when Eren hated the army the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! We know we just posted a chapter less than a week ago, but I thought I would go ahead and update to the new part! This will take us to Belgium in December 1944, during the events that were eventually called "The Battle of the Bulge." If anyone wants to see the forest that they're walking through, they're called the Ardennes Forest and they are BEAUTIFUL. Do yourself a favor and go check it out! 
> 
> Yes, this part and from here on out will be ereri, have no fear! 
> 
> This part gave me the most trouble I've ever had on a story - I can't say that I am not glad to be done with 1944. You'll have three parts total, so keep an eye out! Let us know in the comments what you think (and we always reply to comments, so be sure to check you inboxes!), and I hope you're pleased with what I've come up with.

_December, 1944_

Winter was when Eren hated the army the most.

He supposed he couldn’t complain - the winters in the French countryside were less harsh than those he had experienced during his march through Russia, but it didn’t mean Eren liked them any better.  He longed for the days where he could go inside his childhood home and curl up by the fire, smelling the dinner his mother was cooking wafting through the house, filling the air around them with the smells of baked bread, soups and stews, or perhaps the roasted chicken she would cook on special occasions.  Eren had loved his mother’s cooking and the mere thought of it made Eren’s mouth water.

Unfortunately for Eren, he was far, far away from his childhood home in Riesa.  Instead, he was currently trekking through the densely populated forested Ardennes region of Wallonia, just outside of Belgium and France.  It had been five days since he had even been inside of a building and not surrounded by trees, animals, and lots and lots of snow.  Beside him, Armin shivered as they continued their trek through the forest, his breath coming in small huffs that made little clouds in the cold winter air, before disappearing.

He knew Armin had to be reaching his breaking point.  His friend had never been the most athletic or had the best stamina of their group, but he made up for it with his brilliant tactical mind.  There was little his mind could be used for, now that he and Eren had gone AWOL from their parties, and Eren’s heart clenched slightly at how the boy had to be suffering.  He stole a glance at Armin, whose head was bowed, looking at his feet.  “Armin,” he spoke softly, and he saw Armin’s head pop up. “Are you okay?”

His friend nodded, and Eren could see little strands of blonde hair peeking out from beneath his hood.  He needed a hair cut - they both did, but neither one had had the time to do anything other than the necessary means it took to survive.  Eren reached over and patted Armin on the back, hearing the other man give a short huff of a laugh.  

“You don’t have to worry about me, Eren.” Armin said, quietly. “I’ll be okay.”  His words came in between pants and sucking in air.

“We can stop to rest, if you wish.”

Armin shook his head. “We can’t take the risk.  We need to be as far away from where the Kommandant last saw us as possible.”

Eren knew he was right - once their commander realized they were not a part of the group anymore, they would begin a manhunt to find the two soldiers.  If they were caught, they would discharged and disgraced - possibly even killed, knowing the type of man their commander was.  They also could not afford to slow down and risk being captured by the Americans and taken as prisoners of war, and Eren did not want to think about that possibility.  If Armin was barely holding on as a soldier, there was very little doubt he would be okay as a prisoner of war.

Still, he didn’t want to push Armin too far and risk the other man passing out on him.  Eren stopped and looked around, trying to find some sort of brush they could hide in for a few moments while Armin regained his breath.  Ahead, there were some low hanging trees and with the snow covering them, it would be easy to hide amongst the branches.  He pointed toward it. “We can hide under there for a few moments, enough to give you a breather.  Thirty minutes, tops, and we will start out again before the sun sets.”

Armin didn’t answer audibly, just giving a nod of his head.  Eren frowned, knowing those signs.  Armin’s asthma had not given him problems since they were children, but with the exertion they had pushed themselves toward the past five days, he knew it had to be making a reappearance.  They walked together toward the trees, neither of them speaking as they settled in, putting their packs on the ground and crouching themselves, guns by their sides.  Armin leaned back against the trunk of the tree and wheezed, closing his eyes as he began to take slow, deep breaths.  After a few moments, his breathing evened out and Eren started to relax.  

“Where are we going to go, Eren?” Armin asked finally, his eyes looking left at Eren.  “We don’t have anywhere that is going to take us in … not with the uniforms we’re currently wearing.”

Eren had thought of this already. “If we can make it to the nearest village, we’ll find some clothes that fit, discard our uniforms or burn them, and hide out as long as we can.  If we can manage to stay away from the German army, we should be fine.  The Americans won’t care about us as long as we aren’t soldiers.  At least, I think they won’t.”

Armin looked skeptical about that, but didn’t say anything in reply.

“Once we do that, we can work a few odd jobs here and there, earn enough money to buy a train and get back to Riesa.  Mom and Dad should shelter us once we’re there.  We’ll just have to stay hidden.”

“Our parents homes are going to be the first place they’ll look for us, Eren.”

“Well, hopefully by the time we make it there, they’ll have already interrogated our families, or if we’re lucky, the war will have come to an end.  It’s all we can hope for, Armin.  We’re going to make it through this somehow.  I’ll get you back home, if it’s the last thing I can do.  I promise.”

“I know you will.” Armin said, his voice quiet, but sounding loud in the silence of the forest. “I’ve never doubted you at all.  If anyone can make good on his promises, it’s you, Eren.  You’ve always taken care of me.”

The sun was beginning to set, the light filtering through the trees, earlier than Eren had expected.  He wore no watch and had no way to keep track of time, and he supposed it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise they were off on their timekeeping.  After a quick discussion, both decided it would be easiest to stay where they were for the night, rather than get out and take their chances in the dark with little visibility.  Their packs became pillows as they huddled together in the low hanging branches of the trees, their guns always within a second’s reach.

After they started a small fire for warmth, Armin leaned over and placed his head on Eren’s shoulder, his head lolling and his eyes drooping.  “Eren?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you still have your notebook?  The one you carry with you everywhere?”

Eren knew exactly the one he was referring to, and he nodded against Armin’s head. He dug around behind him, feeling the pockets of his pack and grabbing the tiny notebook from the front pocket.  He pulled it out and opened it, the pages barely readable in the the dim light from the fire. “Which one do you want to hear?”

“I don’t care - surprise me.  I just like hearing your voice.”

Eren suppressed a blush, and he flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for.  The lines and dots were a series of codes he had created for no one but himself, exactly for moments such as these.  Looking at the pages and reading through the marks, Eren quietly began to hum, his voice sounding louder than it was in the quiet night.  He continued through the melody, wrapping one arm around Armin’s waist and pulling him closer for heat, feeling the other man move into the curve of his body.  He continued the song until he felt Armin droop against him, his breath coming in slow, quiet puffs against his cheek and Eren knew he had fallen asleep.  One of them had to stay awake to keep watch and Eren was all too glad to take the task for himself.

Even with Armin asleep, he continued his song, acknowledging it was just as much of a comfort to himself as it was to his friend.

~

They awoke to the sound of gunfire.

Eren jolted awake and was already on his feet when Armin began to gather their things.  The sun was high in the sky - a sure sign it was a little later in the afternoon and Eren cursed to himself.  He had fallen asleep and had put himself and his best friend in unnecessary danger.

The gunfire sounded further away, but Eren could still hear the blasts of bombs and the distinct sound of yelling.  They grabbed their things and began to head further into the forest, away from the yelling, the bombs, and the gunfire, and Eren prayed to God they weren’t about to run straight into enemy soldiers.  

A half a mile or so in, they found a ditch to hide in, both of them throwing leaves, branches and whatever they could find around and over themselves so they would not immediately be visible in case anyone wandered in this far.  Beside him, Eren could feel Armin shaking.  They had seen their fair share of battle, although they had not been in the middle of it themselves, but it never became easier.  Gently, Eren reached over and took Armin’s hand, squeezing it with his own in an attempt to comfort his best friend. Armin gave him a thankful smile, but his eyes once against became focused on their surroundings, watching and listening for any sign the battle was heading this way.

Eventually, the gunfire ceased, the bombs quieted, and the forest once against fell silent around them.  Even after what Eren estimated to be an hour, they still continued to lay there, to scared to move and risk revealing their position.  Eren was the first to move from their spot, climbing cautiously to the top of the hill and scouting around.  He gave a wave to Armin - the ‘all clear’ signal they had taught each other as children.  Armin climbed up after him, handing Eren his pack.  “That was close.” He said, his breath sounding shaky.

“Too close.” Eren agreed.  His knuckles were white around his gun.

They continued their trek, listening closely for any signs of an oncoming battle, enemy soldiers, or even German ones.  To them, both were equally as dangerous.  

A movement in the bushes startled them, and Eren whipped around, bringing the rifle up on instinct.  The bushes rustled again and from underneath them jumped a hare, it’s tail fluffy in the cold December air.  Eren almost chuckled, looking over at Armin who had an equally relieved look on his face.  Then his expression changed.  “Eren,” he muttered quietly as he could. “If we could managed to kill the hare without alerting anyone, that could easily be our dinner tonight.  It isn’t much, but it would be better than the rations we’ve been living off of.”

Eren’s stomach growled in response and both boys had to reign in their laughter.  Eren stepped forward as slowly as he could, but as he moved a twig snapped beneath his feet and the hare sprang forward.  Eren gave a curse under his breath.  

It was almost a game - the hare jumping forward and Eren and Armin following it as quietly as they could.  To an outsider, they must have looked hilarious - something one could have seen on a cartoon back at home in the theaters.  Patience in hunting had never been one of Eren’s biggest qualities and it was showing now.  Each time the hare moved forward, Eren’s patience grew thinner and thinner until he was cursing the beast with every movement it made.  Beside him, Armin was biting his knuckles in an attempt to keep from laughing.  He wasn’t fooling anyone - Eren could see how red his face was, and how much his eyes danced with mischief.  For a moment, he looked more like the eight year old Eren had befriended so long ago in the fields behind his family home, small and skinny and wearing clothes that were far too big for him.  That eight year old looked at him now, and not the twenty-two year old soldier he had been made into, and Eren felt a small tug in his stomach.

When Eren would look back on this moment, he would realize how careless they were actually being, tracking this damn hare through the forest and being completely unaware of their surroundings.  For the first time in what had seemed like forever, they had the prospect of something in their stomachs other than rations, berries, and whatever they could find from abandoned houses along their path.  The hare disappeared into a hole and Eren cursed his luck, standing outside of it and muttering under his breath.  Armin’s face twisted into a frown and one of their stomach’s growled.  Eren wasn’t certain who.

“We could always start a fire at the entrance and see if we could smoke it out.”  Eren though he had heard someone mention doing that before.

“I don’t want to waste what few matches or lighter fluid we have on smoking out a rabbit.”  Armin sighed.  “I guess we could just wait for it?”

Both of them knew waiting for it was not going to be an option.

Eren made a frustrated noise and kicked a bush in anger, the loose snow falling all over his pants and shoes.  “God damn it!”

“Eren, it’s okay.  It’s just a hare.  We’ll find something else.”

It wasn’t just the hare and they both understood that.  It was everything about this damn war and everything it had caused in their lives.  He should not have to be out in the middle of a fucking forest, hunting a fucking hare to depend on their next meal that wasn’t going to consist of tree bark.  He should be at home with his mother, his father, and his sister.  He should be listening to the stories his father would come home with, some crazy thing a local had done to accidentally shoot himself in the foot, or be struck with a hammer as he passed between two locals having an argument.  He should be hearing his mother humming from the kitchen as she cooked dinner, or going about her daily duties in the house.

He should be in university, studying music.  

Not here.  Anywhere but here.

“Eren,”  Armin’s voice was quiet, but insistent.  “Let’s just let the hare be.  We can trap a bird or something later.  We can not be too far from a town if we just keep moving.  Just let it go.”

He wasn’t just talking about the hare.

Eren closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly feeling the anger drain out of his body and he let out a long sigh.  “Okay.”  He said, finally opening his eyes.  “Okay.  Do you think we should —“

He never finished the rest of the sentence as gunshots rang out around them and Eren had a split second view of Armin’s eyes widening just slightly, his mouth opening as his legs began to crumple beneath him.  The next second was filled with searing pain that ripped through what felt like his entire face and his hip, and Eren hit the ground, hard.

It felt like hours before Eren was able to open his eyes, but it could have only been minutes at most.  He reached up a shaky hand to touch his cheek, wincing as he felt where the bullet had sliced through the flesh and his hand pulled away covered in blood.  His lower half was on fire, but he could move.  At least he hadn’t been hit anywhere that was likely to have caused major organ damage.  Eren moved and stifled a cry.

Beside him, he heard nothing from Armin.

Armin had fallen face down in the snow, his arms out to the side and his legs crumpled as though he were a doll whose strings had been cut.  There was blood seeping into the snow beneath him, two holes in the back of his jacket.

Eren shook him very gently. “Armin, are you okay?”

There was no answer.  Eren blinked hard and swallowed, shaking Armin a little more. “Armin, talk to me.  Can you move?”  The force of his shake moved the other man and Eren could see Armin’s face, his blue eyes open but not seeing anything.  Eren licked underneath his finger and held it under Armin’s nose, reaching down at the same time to his neck to feel for a pulse point.  There was none.

Tears were rolling down his cheeks now, the moisture on his face cold in the freezing weather.  He sat there, holding on to Armin’s arm as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against his friend’s body, quiet sobs wracking through him.  He had failed - Eren had promised he would get Armin home to his grandfather and out of the war zone, and he had failed him.  He had been alive just moments ago - they had been speaking! - and Eren’s foolishness had cost Armin his life.  If only he hadn’t been so caught up in catching that damn rabbit, they would have heard the enemy.

The enemy.  

Eren stilled, hearing voices coming from his left and he realized they thought he was dead as well.  A dark chuckle rose in his throat.  Wouldn’t they be surprised?  The two voices were of two men, one of them sounding incredibly angry, both speaking what Eren assumed was English.  Without thinking, Eren grabbed his rifle that had fallen next to Armin and willed himself to move despite the pain that was coursing through his body.  

Now that he had turned around, Eren had a clear view of the two of them. Both were in what looked to be uniforms that belonged to the British army, although it was hard to see through the coats and rain gear they were currently dressed in.  Their voices raised again, and it was obvious the two were arguing over something. The shorter of the men, his black hair cropped close to his scalp had his arms crossed, and was glaring daggers at the taller one. The taller, an unfortunate looking man with dark colored hair answered back in a defensive tone, which only made the shorter one go off again.  

Eren had to admit he was doing a fairly decent job of not looking as intimidated as he should have.  The shorter one’s rifle lay against a tree, the taller one clutched his tightly in his hand. Eren’s hands did the same against his rifle, his knuckles turning white from the grip.  From the way Eren could read their body language, Mr. Unfortunate had to have been the shooter.  It didn’t matter, honestly, both were going to die.

They were distracted.  He could take them both down without either of them even noticing.  They way he had been taken down . . . They way Armin had . . .

Eren didn’t think any further.  He aimed straight at Mr. Unfortunate and shot.  He hit his target directly and the man crumpled like a sack of potatoes, dead before he had even realized he was being attacked.  The other, shorter man, however . . . Eren couldn’t find him.  Both he and the rifle were gone and Eren cursed himself for not being fast enough to take them both out at the same time.  He stood from his spot, his entire body screaming at him to stop, but he couldn’t.

If Eren couldn’t get Armin home, he was damn well going to avenge him.

He ran to where they had stood, seeing no trace of the shorter man anywhere.  “Fuck!” Eren muttered to himself.  The man couldn’t have gone far, not without leaving footprints or some sort of trace.  Eren turned to follow what little evidence he had, and stopped dead as he felt a rifle press against the back of his neck.  Eren froze, unsure of what to do.  This was it.  The moment he had been dreading since the day he had been drafted into _Hitlerjugend_ \- would anyone even be around to find his body, or would he disappear out here like countless other men who had been accounted missing in action?

From behind him, the man spoke.  “ _Put down your rifle, slowly_.”

Eren wanted to roll his eyes, for the man spoke in English.  The sentence had sounded like a command, but what was he wanting him to do?  

The rifle in his back dug in a little harder, and a foot came from behind to kick at the rifle in Eren’s hands.  He repeated his command and this time, Eren caught the insinuation.  He placed his gun on the ground and slowly turned around, coming face to face with the enemy.

The enemy soldier was even smaller up close than he had looked far away, only an inch or so shorter than Armin had been.  He was slender, but Eren had no doubt about the amount of muscle that probably hid beneath the jackets and uniform layers.  He looked down at Eren, his steel blue eyes boring into his own with a look of something Eren couldn’t read. For a brief half a second after Eren turned, they had widened, but quickly resumed their narrow position.  The tip of the rifle came to rest just under Eren’s collarbone.  Eren took a breath.

He wished he could say he welcomed death, but he didn’t.  Even now, even with the knowledge he would have to live the rest of his life without his best friend by his side, Eren wanted to live.  He gripped the fabric of his pants tightly, his fists balling up and he began to shake.  Torn between wanting to curl up and cry, or tackle the soldier and beat him to death, Eren stared at him defiantly, green eyes never once breaking their gaze from the enemy’s steel ones.

The tip of the rifle never moved from under Eren’s collarbone, and he was taking deep, slow breaths that let out little clouds as he exhaled.  Eren never looked away, never moving his eyes from the man in front of him.  Eventually, the other man looked over toward the left, at his fallen comrade and sighed, poking the body with his foot.  “ _Fucking idiot_.” He muttered under his breath, shaking his head.  Eren wished he could understand him.  The soldier looked back at Eren and jerked his head. “ _Up_.”

Eren didn’t move, and wouldn’t move unless he was forced to do so.  The soldier let out a frustrated noise and while still keeping the gun focused on Eren, bent down to grab something off the body of his friend.  Rope.  What did he need rope for?  Eren found his answer as the soldier untangled the rope and kneeled in front of him, wrapping it tightly around Eren’s wrists.  So this was it.  He was being taken prisoner.  His heart sank at the thought.  Without Armin around, he had no reason to want to go back to Riesa.  He would have much preferred death over this.

There was a sharp tug on the rope and Eren felt himself being hauled to his feet.  He didn’t speak, fight, or anything.  He kept his head down, looking at the snow that was once again starting to collect from the new fall around them.  The soldier stopped just long enough to be able to pick up the discarded pack he had left on the ground, and after what seemed like considerable thought, he took Armin’s as well.  Eren’s heart clenched in his chest.  He tried to look anywhere than at the body on the ground, the blue eyes that were still open, unseeing.

The soldier bent for a moment, next to Armin’s body and Eren felt rage swell in his chest.  Whatever he was planning to do, Eren didn’t care.  He would kill the bastard if he did anything to disgrace him.  Yet the soldier let out a deep sigh and a frown crossed his face.  He closed his eyes and muttered something, reaching out one hand and passing them over Armin’s face, closing his eyes in the process.  Gently he reached behind his head and tugged on a chain, which broke free, pulling Armin’s tags from around his neck.  The soldier stood then, reaching out and handing them to Eren.  He said nothing, just turned and began trekking back through the forest, away from Armin.

They weren’t going to make it very far, not with Eren’s hip.  He wondered how his face looked, if it was the mess he was certain it was.  He clenched his hands and dug his fingernails into his palms until he drew blood.  The soldier turned around, raising an eyebrow at him and he asked something in English.  Eren didn’t even bother trying to understand him.  The soldier sighed and shook his head, leading Eren further away.

They stopped not too long after, the day cut short by all the snowfall and clouds covering the sun. The soldier nodded to a tree, and Eren took that as his sign to sit down. He did, with a cry of pain that sounded far too loud in the silence surrounding them.  The soldier looked slightly panicked, but took a deep breath and shook his head.  The soldier reached into a bag and dug out what looked to be an undershirt.  He pulled out a flask as well and drenched a portion of the shirt with the liquid, before moving to kneel in front of Eren.

Eren shied away from him, dodging the hand that was coming at his face out of instinct.  The soldier made a frustrated noise and caught his head with his left hand, moving his right to dab at the wound on Eren’s face.  The liquid - alcohol Eren guessed - burned against him and he flinched, making a noise.  The soldier’s steel eyes moved to look at him, before they flitted back toward Eren’s face.  He did a job of cleaning up the blood along the wound, and even poured a little of the alcohol itself into the wound.  Eren made a noise at that again, and he could have swore the soldier actually made a noise of comfort at that.

Once Eren’s face was clean, the soldier reached down and began to unbutton Eren’s pants, pulling them down slightly to expose the wound on his hip.  The same measures that he used against Eren’s face were used on his hip, and once again, Eren had to bite his teeth against the pain of the alcohol.

Why was he doing this?  If he were taking Eren to his commanders, why would he be patching him up here.  Why had they gone backward from where they had started - obviously he and Armin had come close to some sort of base, judging by the battle they heard earlier, and the two soldiers walking around.  If that were the case, why would he be going away from them?  Eren frowned down at him as the soldier began to button his pants up again, giving Eren a nod to let him know he was done.

Eren didn’t know what else to do, and as the soldier backed away from him and settled himself against a tree, rifle in hand and his eyes watching everything like a bird of prey, Eren looked at the ground.

“Thank you.”  He wasn’t certain if the soldier understood him, but he meant it nonetheless.

 

 


	11. 1944: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren discovers a secret his captor has been hiding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone! Please enjoy this chapters as a Thanksgiving treat (if you're American), and if you aren't, then enjoy it anyway! Levi and Eren actually have some interaction in this chapter, so you should be happy about that. The next chapter is already written, but will probably be a couple of weeks before it's up. I want to give Jennifer the time to start on the Modern Day before I finish this one.
> 
> Hope everyone is doing fantastic! Please feel free to leave us a review - we always reply to them, and we love to hear your thoughts and comments!

They began moving again the next morning. Eren’s hip still hurt and he had to clench his teeth against the pain with every step he took. The soldier - his ethnicity still unknown - looked back at him and Eren could have sworn he saw concern in his eyes. He brushed the thought away as soon as it came, and he knows this man could not possibly give a damn about how he feels. Eren was a prisoner of war now, and he could only assume he was being taken to the soldier’s commander. If only he had someone else here besides the two of them, someone who could offer support or even understand what he was saying.

The winter winds were harsh and sometimes as it blew across his face, Eren felt like he couldn’t breathe. He gave out breaths in large huffs, following wherever the soldier is leading him, tied to him by the rope that is still tied around his wrists. Eren wished he could get his hands free, be able to brace himself or even brush the hair out of his face. This wasn’t going to happen, however, and Eren trailed behind like a puppy and he felt just as small.

They move for what seemed like hours, hearing no other people nor seeing them either. For once, Eren wished he could meet another German and manage to get himself free. Every once in a while the soldier would turn around and look at him, tilting his head just a tiny bit before nodding and leading them further into the forest.

The soldier turned to look at Eren, and he could see wisps of black hair peaking out from underneath his helmet. He muttered a few times in English, to no one in particular and Eren had the feeling he was tracking something. Or someone. Either option wasn't really what Eren wanted to do.

At night, they rested against trees. Eren leaning against one, his hands still bound, but loose enough that they weren't uncomfortable. The soldier busied himself digging through the pack he had been carrying with him, fishing out a small box. He opened it and Eren's eyes widened slightly.

Rations. His stomach grumbled at the very thought of food. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had eaten.

The soldier moved over to him and took his hands, his narrow blue eyes watching them carefully before they flickered up to meet Eren's. A small shudder ran through him - the man's eyes held an intensity Eren had never seen before in a person. As if there were something - a hidden secret perhaps - that just barely scratched the surface of his personality. The soldier swallowed. _"Does this hur_ t?" he asked quietly.

Eren just stared at him, narrowing his eyes.

The soldier sighed. Gently, he took Eren's hands in his own and began to untie the knots that bound his wrists together. His fingers were cold against Eren's skin - colder than they should have been. The rope was untied and Eren moved his wrists for the first time in two days. He took a deep breath of relief, and rubbed at the spot where the rope had rubbed his skin raw. It stung.

 _"Are you hungry?"_ The soldier asked, holding out a (look up what rations are in the Army during WWII) and Eren took the hint. He grabbed the bar and began to tear into it. The taste was horrible, as always - Armin had once mentioned they tasted something like sawdust. Eren had to agree with that statement.

His stomach rumbled even as he ate. Eren felt as though he couldn't eat fast enough. He swallowed a little and looked down at the bar before offering the remainder of the ration to the soldier.

An odd look passed over his face as the bar was held in front of him. His eyes flickered from the ration bar and back to Eren's, and they narrowed even further. He shook his head lightly and pushed the bar toward Eren, motioning for him to eat it. Eren didn't have to be told twice; he devoured the disgusting bar within minutes.

The soldier moved away and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes just slightly.

Eren looked around. They were alone. The soldier was obviously exhausted by the days journey and now his hands were untied. It was almost too perfect.

He made slow movements as he reached for his back pack, which was lying next to Armin's. Would he be able to carry both? He supposed if he couldn't, Eren would grab his own and leave Armin's. The thought sent a pang in his stomach, but he swallowed it down. The strap was almost within reach . . . There! He grabbed it and threw it on. Immediately, Eren sprang to his feet and began to run, no longer caring how much noise he was making. Behind him, Eren heard a noise of surprise, which was immediately followed by a noise of frustration as the soldier heaved himself up and started to run after him.

Eren had a good lead, darting through the forest as the night began to turn black. Within a few paces, Eren started to hear something - something that wasn't either him, nor the soldier. People. Humans! Humans speaking German. As he looked forward, there was a light that Eren assumed to be lanterns. He could finally find someone, and even if Eren landed himself in prison or (hopefully) discharged from the military, at least he would no longer be a prisoner of war. The odds were more in his favor than not.

"Help!" he yelled into the forest, hoping his voice would carry far enough for the soldiers to hear him. "Help me!"

Two men turned their heads at the sound of his voice, both wearing the colors and insignias of the German military. One older, balding with a grey mustache and wrinkles that covered almost every inch of his face. The other was a younger man, with large bushy brown hair, and a beard that looked in desperate need of trimming. Eren's heart leapt within his throat. He was almost there, if he could just out run the soldier for a few minutes longer.

Eren ran into the clearing, bending over to huff, out of breath. "Help," he wheezed, looking down at the ground for a moment, before lifting his head and looking the older gentleman in the eye. "I've been taken hostage by a soldier. I am not certain if he is American or British, but I've been taken either way."

The older man chuckled slightly. "Are you okay?" His words were clearly German, but his accent was strange. One Eren couldn't place.

"He hasn't hurt me." Eren admitted. "But one of his friends shot my bes - they shot Armin. My best friend. He was a soldier along with me."

Mr. Mustache gave him a look that Eren could almost call sympathetic. "I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. Armin, you said his name was?"

Eren nodded. "Yes, sir. Armin Arlert."

The other man, Bushy Beard, was staring at Eren as though he were an insect. He leaned closer to Mr. Mustache and muttered something in his ear, which caused Mustache to narrow his eyes ever so slightly. They spoke back and forth between them momentarily, but their tone was too low for Eren to catch what they were saying. Their words sounded almost foreign. Eren shifted from foot to foot, uncertain of what to do other than stand there.

He wished Armin were here.

He wished he was home.

A movement from the forest caught all of their attention, and the soldier that had captured Eren came out, his hands raised in a surrendering position. Eren was confused by what was happening. Why would the soldier be coming out if he knew they were just going to take him hostage? Warily, Eren watched as he moved forward toward the three of them. He began to speak, his words in English flowing right over Eren's head. To his complete and utter surprise, Mustache began to answer back.

They gathered in a small circle, speaking amongst themselves in hushed voices. Every once in a while, one of them would look back toward Eren and chuckle, before returning to their huddle and whispering again. Then they began to laugh. Mustache began to nod, and Bushy Beard look relieved, almost. They broke apart and the soldier moved toward Eren, taking him by the arm in firm, but gentle grip and led him back toward the forest and away from the camp, the two soldiers, and his freedom.

Once they were far enough away, Eren decided he was completely fed up with the situation. He pulled his arm from the soldier and drew back, his hands curling into a tight fist as he swung his arm forward, aiming for the soldiers face.

He had to admit, the soldier had incredible reflexes. He dropped immediately, his leg coming underneath him to swipe at Eren's legs, which took him down in a tumble. The soldier moved quickly, pinning Eren to the ground and held him there, looking down at him with such an intensity that Eren almost felt scared. He said something that, once again, Eren couldn't understand. When the rope made a reappearance, Eren understood what was happening. He was being taken hostage again.

The night ended with nothing more, and Eren slept fitfully against the tree he had been tied to. He wished they had a blanket or something to block out the bitter cold wind that blew through the trees. He stared at the soldier during the times he was awake, watching for any signs of weariness. There seemed to be none. Eren made a small noise in the back of his throat, catching the soldiers attention, but he said nothing, his eyes portraying nothing. Now more than ever, Eren missed Armin. Had it really only been just over a day since his death? It didn't seem real in his head. It was something he had to push to the back of his mind, or he would lose his sanity.

He would deal with the loss later.

When Eren awoke the next morning, the soldier was already packing up and extinguishing the fire that had kept them semi warm through the night. He gave a glance in Eren's direction. Eren moved awkwardly, unsure how to get into a standing position with his arms still bound. He managed it however, and the soldier grabbed all three packs, jerked his head in a direction and they set off.

After an hour or so of walking, they came upon a farmhouse. Eren recognized it as something his unit had passed, and he tilted his head just slightly. Why were they stopping here? Certainly the Americans or British weren't hanging out in this farm house. Where were the people? To his left, Eren heard a dog whimpering pitifully. He frowned.

The soldier had disappeared, but returned momentarily with a shovel in hand. He moved to untie Eren's bonds and handed him the shovel.

Eren just stared at him blankly.

The soldier rolled his eyes. " _Dig._ " He said, taking the shovel from him and demonstrating.

Eren's throat clenched. This was it. The soldier wasn't taking him to his commander. The soldier was asking him to dig his own grave.

Like hell he was going to do that. Eren stood there and stared at him defiantly, their eyes meeting and not moving from one another. Eren stood his ground, not moving an inch from his position. The soldier was taking deep, calculated breaths that told Eren he was highly annoyed by the situation. Finally, he sighed and grabbed the shovel from Eren's hands.

Eren watched as he began digging in the snow, making frustrated noises as he did so. The shovel refused to break the ground. Something inside Eren began to build and he couldn’t help but have a smile cross his face. It lasted until the shovel finally met dirt - soft dirt - and the soldier began digging in earnest. He dropped the shovel and fell to his knees, pushing the snow and dirt away with his hands.

This was it. Eren’s chance to finally get away from this man. He grabbed the shovel, gripped it tightly in his hands and swung it at the soldier as hard as he could. The shovel made a hard crack against the man’s back, lower than Eren had intended, and he fell further to the ground, quickly moving upwards. Eren didn’t waste time and swung the shovel again. This time, the solider was prepared. He grabbed the shovel as it swung toward him and looked at Eren, pain in his eyes as he said, in perfect German - “Damn it man, can you not see I am trying to do something here?”

Eren dropped the shovel, his eyes wide. Then anger took over. “You speak German?!” he demanded, his eyes narrowing as the soldier rubbed his head.

“I do.” He said, shortly. “I don’t have time to explain what is going on. We’re running out of time, and I’m not going to waste it talking with you. Help me. We’ve got to get this dirt and ice off this door.”

It was then Eren noticed the beginnings of a brown door underneath where the soldier was leaning and he began to quickly dig the ice and dirt off the door and he stood, pulling open the trap door with what looked like little effort. The soldier made sure it was propped open and, with one look at Eren, started down the stairs to the bottom of the shelter. Eren followed him, unsure of what else to do. What he found inside made him gasp.

Two small children were huddled against the wall, clinging onto the body of a woman who lay still, slumped against the corner. The soldier knelt beside her, placing two fingers against her neck and Eren could see his shoulders slump. “She’s gone.” He said, voice rougher than Eren had heard.

The two children looked at the soldier as though he were a demon, curling closer together until they almost merged as one. The soldier moved toward them slowly, reaching out a hand and speaking to them in a soft tone. “I am not here to hurt you.” He said, gently. “I’m here to help.”

They said nothing, only staring at the soldier with eyes that looked straight past him. Eren had seen those eyes many times - eyes that had seen death. He moved as well, bending down and extending a hand. Upon laying eyes on Eren, the children scuttled closer into the corner, making small whimpering noises and bringing their hands up above their faces.

The soldier shook his head at Eren. “They’re frightened of you.”

“Why? Why would they be more frightened of me and not you?”

There was a small hesitation before the soldier spoke. “I will tell you once we get them out of this shelter. The house - their home, I assume - is still intact. We can spend the night there and leave early tomorrow morning. There is a farmhouse about five kilometers north of here where an old man and woman are living. They may not know the children, but maybe they can help rehome them. They can help them more than either of us can.”

Eren narrowed his eyes. “How do you know all of this?”

The soldier made an impatient noise. “I passed by there the day before I discovered this and found you.”

“Did you do this? Did your squad do this to these children?”

“Do you think I would be helping them if I were involved in this?” The soldier snapped, his voice a low, threatening sound. “No, I came upon the scene as it was finishing. I did what I could at the moment, but was not able to get to the children before they buried them alive. Now, would you like to have this conversation in this hole, or would you like to get these children out, cleaned up, and in a safe place?”

Eren backed down, nodding his agreement. The soldier was right. The children needed to be taken care of before anything else.

It took them a bit to get the children to trust them. The soldier reached for the girl, gently taking her into his arms and whispering words of comfort to her as he did. She barely reacted, Eren noticed, limp against the soldiers arms like a rag doll. As Eren reached for the boy, however, things changed. The boy screamed and began to flail, making it difficult for Eren to get a good grasp on him. Once he did, the boy made a noise like a wounded animal and sunk his teeth into Eren’s arm. It took everything within him not to throw the child across the room on instinct, but Eren sucked in a breath and gripped the child harder, holding him tightly to his chest to still the thrashing and fighting. He clambered up the steps after the soldier and followed him into the house. Once inside, Eren placed the child gently to the floor, next to his sister. The two clung to one another instantly.

The soldier looked over at him, his brows furrowing at the bite on Eren’s arm. “You need to take care of that. You do not need for it to get infected.”

Eren held back a snort. “What does it matter? I’ll take care of it when I can.”

The look the soldier gave him told Eren he clearly disagreed, but he said nothing. Instead, he disappeared upstairs, returning moments later with clean clothing for the children, a rag, and a bucket. “We should clean the dirt off of them.”

Bathing the children went easier than Eren had expected. The boy had lost most of his fight, although he still never missed an opportunity to send Eren a look that would have wilted flowers. Once they were clean and dressed, they curled up on the cots the soldier had laid out for them, wrapped themselves around each other and settled into a fitful sleep. Eren had to admit he was jealous - his body was past the point of exhaustion.

The soldier appeared in front of him so quickly, it actually startled Eren. Gently, he took his arm and cleaned the dried blood from the bite, poured something on the wound that made Eren jump in surprise and pain, and wrapped a cloth around it. “If you are going to wandering around the woods, the last thing you need is to have an infected wound. I have seen infections take soldiers out faster than bullets.”

Eren’s emotions were a mess. He took his arm away from the soldier, looking down at the bandage and back up to him. In the fading sun, Eren could finally see a clear view of his captor’s eyes - a blue that was almost steel, narrowed and calculating … but almost tender? Eren shook his head and backed away, bumping into the wall. He slid down, taking his head in his hands and curling his fingers into his hair.

He heard the soldier sit down next to him, breath coming out in little huffs. Eren looked at him through his fingers, swallowing a little and feeling the weight of the day begin to take it’s toll.

“By the way,” the soldier said, staring at the wall across from them. “My name is Levi.”

“I’m Eren.”

And that was all that was said.


	12. 1944: Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi get the children to a safe place, and learn a little more about one another!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Very Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I meant to actually post this on New Years Eve, but I have bronchitis and I just didn't feel very well. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey - we are almost at the year mark for posting this story (I believe the one year anniversary is Sunday). Jennifer and I can not thank you enough for your support through everything, both in the story and in our lives.
> 
> I haven't had a chance to reply to your comments yet (I will as soon as I post this), but thank you to the reader who pointed out some inaccuracies in the last chapter! I've tried very hard to keep this as accurate as possible (been doing tons of research), but we're all human and make mistakes. I'll get that taken care of as soon as possible!
> 
> As always, please feel free to leave us comments and let us know what you think! This should be the second to last chapter for 1944, and then we move forward to modern day! :D Be PREPARED.

The children were awake before Eren. He heard them shuffling around in the house as he slowly stretched, stiff from his position against the wall. He looked over to the soldier - no, Levi - to see he had changed positions during the night, and was now keeping guard by the window. He looked as though he hadn’t sleep at all. Eren cleared his throat a little, and Levi turned around, giving him a questioning look. “If you want to take a nap, I can keep watch.”

Levi shook his head. “I’m rested. We can’t risk it. We need to leave here, quickly. Before they come back and realize I dug up their captives.”

“Who are ‘they’?”

Levi looked at him cautiously before replying. “A squad came through a couple of days ago - the day before I captured you - and came upon this farm house. It was a small family, just a father, mother, their two children, and what I assume were uncles. The soldiers killed all of them, and hung their bodies from the trees, but not before raping and torturing the woman and burying her alive with her two children. I stumbled upon them at the very last of it, as they were burying the woman.”

“How do you know about the rest?” 

“I made sure I received a confession.”

“And the soldiers? Where are they? Did they escape?”

There was a small hesitation before Levi replied. “I made certain they would no longer harm anyone else. I buried the innocents bodies myself.”

An anger started inside Eren, but strangely not at the soldier. This, this was what other countries were hearing about. They were told time and time again about the brutality of the German soldiers, and how it was better to die than to be captured by them. Eren assumed in many cases that might have been true, but he had also heard the same about the Americans and British armies. There was no reason these people should have died. They were innocents that were caught in the way of a psychopath with too much power, Eren assumed. His hands clenched into fists and he began to take deep, calming breaths.

“It’s over now.” Levi said, nodding toward Eren’s clenched fists. “The best we can do is make certain the children wind up with good people. On my travels, I discovered another home about five kilometers from here. It’s a long walk, especially with the children, but it’s their best chance. We can’t leave them here.”

Eren looked toward the kitchen and watched as the light filtered in through the window shutters. The two children were talking amongst themselves, heads bowed together and hands holding, sparing quick glances toward Eren and Levi. Eren turned back to Levi to find him staring at the children, an odd look on his face. His eyes flicked toward Eren. “I will talk to them. They seem to trust me more than they trust you.”

“You said you would explain that. Why are they more frightened of me?”

“Your uniform. The men that attacked their family were German soldiers - at least one of them was a commander, and he gave the order for the attack. I do not understand why he did this, and I doubt I ever will. The only thing I know is I have come to learn that some people in this world are just evil. There is no rhyme or reason behind it, they are just cruel.”

“Animals in human form.” Eren said, quietly.

“Monsters. This whole war is full of them, and it is not just limited to one side. I’ve seen and heard of atrocities in almost every part. The Germans are getting the brunt of it all, especially if you look in the papers from Britain or America. Experiments, death camps, and the like - it is not exactly helping the image that not every German is a follower of Hitler.”

Eren flared just a little. “We’re not. I’m not! I don’t even want to be in this stupid war.”

Levi nodded. “I know. That is how propaganda works. You do not want to be here anymore than I do, I assume. Trust me, trudging through the wilderness on the week of Christmas was not how I had planned to spend this holiday.” He almost looked amused for a moment. “If you look at the papers in Germany, they are saying the same things about the Americans. I assume the Japanese are the same way, and so on and so forth. No one is innocent in this war - everyone has done their fair share of atrocities. We just have to be the ones who make up for all the horrors.”

His words were true. Levi was nothing like the stories Eren had heard over the years about the British (or American. Eren still had yet to place his accent), and Eren assumed it was the same for Levi. “Do you trust me?”

Levi’s eyes flicked back at him and they held one another’s gaze for a few moments before Levi gave a small nod. “I trust you about as much as I trust anyone, I guess. I ask the same question - do you trust me?”

“I don’t have any other choice.” Eren admitted. “We’re in this together, at least until we get the children to a safe place. Do you promise you won’t kill me when my back is turned?”

That earned him a snort. “If I had wanted to kill you, you would not be alive right now, I assure you.”

During the evening, Levi had prepared a bag for the children, filled with clothes and toys from their bedroom. It was a small gesture, but Eren had a feeling it would mean the world to the little ones. It took them a while to explain to them what was happening, and the children were not happy with the idea of leaving their home (and in turn their parents) behind. Still, they resigned to the fact and took Levi’s hand and they started their long trek to the farmhouse.

It was slower than normal, with the children in tow. Between their almost snail like pace and frequent stops for bathroom breaks, Eren was certain they would not reach the farmhouse before nightfall. Finally, the house appeared on the horizon and Eren could have wept with joy. The children could see it too, and their pace became a little faster. As they approached the house, a figure appeared outside, still against the door of the home. In his hand, he held a rifle and he raised it as they came closer.

Levi was the first to speak. “Please do not shoot. Are you the owners of this home?”

The man hesitated, rifle still raised. “We are. What business do you have here?”

“Your neighbors, they were a couple with two small children - they were killed in an attack a couple of days ago. The children survived, but were left alone in the house. We’re bringing them to you and ask for shelter until you can find them somewhere to go. Please, we do not mean any harm. We just want to drop off the children and be on our way.”

“You’re an American? Or British?”

Levi made a small noise in the back of his throat, too quiet for anyone but Eren to hear. “I am with the British army, yes. If you like, I can send them toward you without taking another step. This isn’t a trap. I only care about the wellbeing of the children.”

The girl whimpered beside Eren, and he reached out a hand to place it against the top of her back. She stiffened against his touch, but didn’t move. This was an improvement from last night. The man finally lowered his rifle and looked to his left as a woman appeared beside him. She made a noise and her hands flew to her mouth. Giving a look toward the man - whom Eren assumed to be her husband - she bent down and opened her arms. This was all the invitation the children needed. They let go of Eren and Levi’s hands and flew to her, wrapping their small arms around her as she enveloped them in a giant hug.

“Thank you.” She said, sniffing against the girl’s hair. “We heard the farm had been attacked and we feared the worst. They were such a nice couple …”

Levi nodded. “You’ll see they are taken care of?”

The man looked down at the children and back to Levi. “There’s a church up the road we can take them to. They’ve been housing orphans from the war.”

“You’re welcome.”

The rifle was raised again and a chill went down Eren’s spine. 

Levi tensed beside him. “We’re leaving now. We mean you no harm. The boy next to me is one of you - he’s a German.”

“I don’t care what side he’s on, they’re all the same. If he’s here by himself, he’s a deserter.” Even from the distance, Eren could see a grin growing on the man’s face. “And you’re an enemy. Yes, we’ll be paid nicely for the both of you.”

There was a low noise from Levi, something Eren could only describe as a growl. It sent a chill down Eren’s spine, raising the hair on the back of his neck instantly. His hands instinctively went to his sides for his rifle before remembering Levi still carried the both of them. He had never felt more helpless than he did right now. His eyes shifted toward Levi, who hadn’t moved from his position at all, but Eren could see his hands were clenched. The knuckles that were already so pale became an almost unearthly color - this was the only sign Eren had that Levi was just as scared as he was.

“These children have already witnessed murder.” Levi’s voice no longer held emotion, his words abrupt and clipped. “Are you really heartless enough to have them witness it again? Are our lives worth that much to you?” Levi’s hands moved toward his rifle, and he very slowly raised and aimed it in the direction of their opponent. “If you try anything, I will not hesitate to shoot you. You won’t win this one, I guarantee it. Now, I ask you again: Are our deaths really worth that risk?”

Eren felt as though he couldn’t breathe, as though any sound would provoke the older man into pulling the trigger and erasing both himself and Levi from existence. He wished Levi had given him his rifle, or some kind of weapon to defend himself. They were both completely and utterly at the mercy of whoever could pull the trigger fast enough - or who would back down first. 

Slowly, the man’s wife walked toward him and placed her hand on his gun, pushing it down while staring at him intently. They spoke softly - too soft for Eren to hear the words being said - but he could tell from the tone of the man’s voice he disagreed with whatever she was saying. The children stayed behind them, clinging to each other in a way that made Eren’s heart ache. He felt responsible for them and wished he knew of some way to assure they would be taken care of properly. Eren’s eyes flickered toward Levi, who was standing just as still as he had been, his gun still aimed to fire at any moment. Finally, there was a sigh of defeat and the older man lowered his gun to the ground. Their eyes met across the ground for a split second and with a shake of his head, the man turned and started toward the house, the woman and children following seconds later.

It was only after the door had been shut and the latch clicked, with an echo across the still forest, did Levi lower his rifle. “Move.” was his only command, and Eren didn’t have to be told twice. They disappeared to the left and further into the forest, Eren trailing along behind Levi as best he could. The man moved like an animal, darting in and out of the trees and brush like it was nothing, leaving Eren to feel as though he were a bumbling fool. The adrenaline of the previous hour was beginning to wear off and Eren could feel his body screaming at him for rest. He was literally days past the point of exhaustion. 

They hit a small clearing and Eren’s body could move no further. He collapsed against a tree, watching as Levi spun around to saying something - probably an order to keep moving further - but his mouth closed as Eren wheezed and huffed on the ground, body shaking and soon wracked with dry heaves. He coughed and spluttered onto the dirt and tears begin to fill his eyes. He wanted to be home. God, he wanted nothing more than to be home with his mother, father and sister, warm in his own bed with his own pillows and blankets. Once the thought had crept into his mind, Eren couldn’t stop the tears from flowing and he cried. He cried for his home. He cried for Armin. He cried for himself.

Levi said nothing and Eren thanked him for it, letting the sobs of one broken man echo into the cold winter evening.

~

“What is the book you keep looking at?”

It was the first time they had spoken since the incident with the farmer. Eren had cried himself until he was literally only gasping for air, nothing escaping through his lungs anymore. Levi had settled across from him, crossing his legs and leaning back against the tree as though he were settling in for the night. After a while, Eren realized they were - Levi obviously had no intention of moving any further. “They won’t be looking for us here,” he explained. “They’ll think we’re miles away from here by now, so they’ll be looking that way. We’ll be safe here - for now at least.”

Eren had not had the energy to argue with him, grateful for the break in hiking.

He looked up from the small notebook in his hands and closed it almost defensively, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “It’s nothing, really. Just something stupid.”

“You’ve had it out almost every night since you took it from your pack. You hum while you look at it, and it obviously brings you comfort. What is it?” Levi’s tone was curious, un-accusing. Eren bit his lip. 

“It’s music.” He said, quietly. “The notebook is full of music.”

“Music that you’ve written?”

“Some.” Eren admitted. “Mostly just composers I really enjoy. I’ve always been very passionate about music, even when I was a little kid. My father took me to a concert when I was about seven and it was like my whole life was suddenly complete. I wanted to learn how to make music like that, how to make people feel the way listening to those notes made me feel. I begged him to let me take piano lessons, and from there I learned the organ. I used to play it in church on Sunday mornings.”

Levi cracked a small smile. “Really? I’d love to hear that someday.”

“Good luck with that.” Eren laughed, shaking his head. “I know the places where I trained are gone now. Still … I couldn’t bear the thought of not having my music with me when I went to war, so I developed a technique to remember it.” He opened the small book and held it close to the fire, showing Levi the sets of dots, slashes, and lines. “Each of those marks represents a note or a movement. It isn’t complete by any means - more of just a guide to help me know where to go in my mind.”

“Looks similar to something my brother did when we were younger.” Levi said, eying the pieces of paper closely. “He loved music as well, but music wasn’t as accessible to us as it is to people now.”

“What, England didn’t have concerts?”

“Of course they did, but you had to have the money to go to one.” 

“Ah.” 

“Jean was always humming things to himself, and took to writing them down, but this was before he knew how to read and write music. So he created his own system of helping him remember. I was always amazed by it when I was little.”

“That’s really amazing. Is he still writing music?”

“No. He passed away some years ago.” 

There was a small silence before Eren could respond. “I’m sorry to hear that. Family means so much I couldn’t imagine -.” He trailed off before he could finish, feeling his throat clenching. Eren blinked his eyes several times, clearing his throat. “Anyway, that is what the book is. Just a small notebook of makes and dashes that only makes sense to myself. Armin and I used to joke that if we were ever captured by the Americans, they’d probably think it was some secret code. All I could say is I hope they like Bach.”

Levi chuckled at that, the fire making his dark eyes dance in their light. There wa an old familiar twinge in Eren’s gut, one that caused his heart to flutter momentarily from Levi’s smile, but he pushed it down again quickly. There was no time to be having thoughts like that. 

“You mentioned you had siblings?” Eren said, attempting to start some sort of conversation again. “Is it just the one brother?”

“No - one older brother, and two older sisters. Twins. I am the youngest of the family.”

“Is there much of an age gap?”

“Jean was almost ten years older than me and the girls were about eight and a half. I was a little bit of a surprise, apparently.”

Eren blinked. “No kidding! It’s just me at home - I’ve got a ‘sister’, but she isn’t biologically related to me. Just a best friend who has pretty much grown up with me since I was small, and technically you could count Armin in with that as well. We’ve known one another since we were seven.”

“That’s a long time to be friends.”

“Yeah, and I’ve spent most of it beating up assholes who tried to take advantage of him. They picked on him for almost anything they could get their hands on. He was too short, he was too pale, he didn’t date people as much as they thought he should have, he was a queer - you name it, they said it. Got my ass kicked most of the time defending him, but it was worth it.”

“I’m glad he had someone like that. Someone who would defend him no matter what he was involved in.”

“I failed him at the worst possible moment.”

“That wasn’t your fault, Eren.” Levi’s voice was quiet. “There was nothing you could have done that would have stopped Armin’s death. I want you to know, I wasn’t involved with the shooting … we had been separated from the rest of our unit and were trying to find our way back. The ambulances had already come and gone … we didn’t know if any were coming back for us. Jurgen and I were trying to find our way back to the main road. Well,” Levi sighed and rolled his eyes, his head shaking back and forth. “I was trying to find our way back to the main road. Jurgen was being the asshole he always had been and was fucking around. When he heard the two of you, he took off before I was able to stop him. To be honest, I’m not entirely certain how he was even stealthy enough to sneak up behind both of you to even take the two of you off guard.”

Eren felt his eyes water. “We were hunting that stupid rabbit …”

Levi nodded. “Yeah, he was counting on the two of you being distracted enough. Jurgen was … well, asshole does not always cover what he was. Chauvinistic, racist, and extremely stubborn to the point of stupidity were only a handful of things I could use to describe him. He was proud of himself for catching a couple of Krauts.” 

“I’m glad I shot him, then. People like that don’t deserve to be alive.” The words were harsh, bitter, but Eren couldn’t find it in him to even care. 

“I can not say that I disagree with you.” Levi swallowed. “I am telling you all of this, Eren, to say that I didn’t want your friend’s murder. I’m not asking for your forgiveness - I should have been able to stop him, but I failed. Because I failed, your friend is dead.”

“Because of you, I’m alive.” Eren whispered. 

Levi didn’t answer and Eren heaved a sigh pulling his legs closer to his knees and curling into the tree. His eyes were suddenly beyond heavy and although he struggled to keep them open, sleep won out. As he drifted into unconsciousness, he heard Levi give a deep sigh and mutter something in French, followed by his name.


	13. 1944: Part Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I am so, so, SO sorry this took ... well, half a year to get out to everyone. Believe it or not, it has actually been written since November of last year, but things/life got in the way. It's been a bumpy few months for both Jennifer and I - moving, weddings/breakups, changes in jobs and just general hecticness. 
> 
> So please forgive us for the insane delay. It won't be this long again from here on out, we promise <3 
> 
> This is the end of the 1940's part ... I know some people may have some questions at the end, and if you do, please feel free to ask anything. You're always welcome to ask more information about certain variations of the characters! We know we come nowhere near to answering all the questions in the story and it's expected. Personally, I love answering them :)
> 
> Next up - 2015 Eren and Levi :)) You'll love the modern age period. I promise. 
> 
> Please leave comments in the review section below!

It was the weirdest Christmas Eren had experienced, even counting the couple he’d spent within the Army’s service. They had stopped to rest for the evening on the cold Christmas Eve, both of them feeling the effects of exhaustion in more ways than one. Eren slumped against a tree, leaning his head against it and huffing. Levi looked less exhausted, but the bags under his eyes showed his weariness. There was an almost restless energy about him and his eyes were quick to dart toward any movement in the bushes, almost like a wolf watching for prey. 

Eren broke the silence. “Does your family have any traditions for Christmas?”

“Many,” Levi answered quietly. “We had large celebrations in my home. Mother, Father, brothers and sisters and their spouses and children - all of us packed into my parents home every Christmas for celebrations. I was the baby of the family, and Christmas is also my birthday, so it was double special. Sometimes we had a goose, but usually it was a roast pig or ham, breads, sweet puddings, cranberries, and squash. Rabbits too, if we were lucky enough to catch them. After dessert, or for dessert, we would have cake and sweets for my birthday.”

“That’s extravagant!” Eren said, and he couldn’t wrap his mind around all of the food, or what that would even cost. “Ours weren’t nearly that intense and we didn’t have nearly as much. We usually would have goose when we could afford it. We would decorate our tree, usually with candles and small things I’d made as a child. I was allowed to open one gift that evening and the rest in the morning. We had to attend church in the morning, of course.”

“We attended ours on Christmas Eve, at midnight.”

“We aren’t allowed to celebrate as we used to.” Eren said, frowning. “They’ve done all they can to exclude Jesus from most of the worship services. “

“That makes no sense.” Levi said, shaking his head in confusion. “What’s the reason?”

“I don’t know.” Eren admitted with a shrug. “Maybe it makes them uncomfortable? There’s honestly no telling what these people think and I gave up trying to figure that out when I was drafted. There’s nothing worse than fighting for a cause you don’t believe in.”

“There is one thing worse - dying for it.”

Eren fell quiet, feeling the anger building in him. Levi was right - dying for this was not worth it. “I want to get him home, Levi. Armin, I mean. I promised I would get him home - even if it is only his body. His parents … his grandfather … they deserve to know something happened to him.” Eren felt his throat clench as he spoke, his voice coming out in a strangled manner. 

“We’ll get him home.” Levi answered. “We’ll be passing by the spot where he was shot, probably within the next day or so. We’ve got enough rope, I think. We should be able to at least make a small sled and drag him along behind us. It isn’t that far from that spot to the German line - we shouldn’t have to go very far.”

“Thank you.” Eren said, looking up from his spot to find Levi’s face in the darkness. “I don’t know what I’ve done to make you be so … so nice to me, but thank you. You’ve had every opportunity to kill me, but you haven’t. I don’t understand.”

“I’m not a murderer.” The way the words came from Levi were definite, unmoving. His eyes narrowed slightly and he stared at Eren in a way that made his stomach flip. Eren broke the eye contact and looked past Levi, out into the forest. 

Suddenly, Levi moved and pulled something from his pocket, holding it up to the light of the fire and stared at Eren with a grin on his face. Eren’s eyes focused on the item in Levi’s hand - a single candle. “I do believe it is Christmas Eve, if I am not mistaken?” Levi said, lighting the candle before turning to one of the evergreens beside them. He dripped a little wax on the branches and waited until enough had accumulated, then pressed the candle into it. “I am familiar with this tradition. I saw this in the farmhouse with the children, and I couldn’t resist.”

“You stole a candle?”

The look Levi shot him was almost amused. “Yes, I stole a candle. Somehow, I don’t think it will be missed much.”

The little candle outdid itself, shining brightly against the evergreen. Levi stood in front, the light reflecting off his face and showing just how pale Levi really was. He cleared his throat and Eren heard him begin to hum something under his breath, which Eren recognized as “Stille Nacht.” The sound turned from humming to Levi singing under his breath as he moved to his bag and dug around, turning back to Eren and holding out something, which was covered in a shirt.

“What’s this?”

“Your Christmas gift. Just open it.”

Eren looked at it skeptically, raising an eyebrow and moving his eyes to Levi’s face. The smile hadn’t left the other man’s face, and he nodded toward the small bundle. “Look, it isn’t a grenade if that’s what you’re concerned about. Haven’t we moved past killing suspicions? If I had wanted you dead, you’d be dead.”

He unwrapped the bundle and looked down at what it produced in surprise. There was a package of cigarettes in his hands and a shake of the box confirmed there were indeed cigarettes in the package. Upon opening it, he discovered there were only four, but this was far more than he’d had in months. Levi was a clever bastard - he had to have known there were two things more precious than gold or silver in the armed forces - cigarettes and chocolate. Eren quickly looked up at a grinning Levi. “How did you get these?”

“I’ve had them for a while.” Levi said, crouching on his feet. “Bummed it off of a body after the battle a few days ago. I smoked one, but mostly kept them for bargaining purposes. Seeing as it is Christmas and all, I thought I would be charitable. You can either light up, or you can trade them for something later. Either way, Merry Christmas.”

With numb fingers, Eren opened the pack and took out a cigarette. He leaned up to the fire and did his best to light it without setting himself and the cigarette on fire. Taking a drag and letting it out slowly, Eren closed his eyes and relaxed against the tree. “I don’t smoke,” Eren said, chuckling as he stared at the cigarette in his hand. “I mean, I have in the past and I started when I was drafted. Never exactly enjoyed it, but at this point I’ll do anything to calm my nerves.” He tossed the pack into Levi’s lap. “You can have one, if you want.”

Levi nodded and he opened the pack, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. He tossed the pack back to Eren, who caught it and stuffed it in his pockets. They smoked together quietly. Eren closed his eyes, humming to himself and letting the memory of what he was humming fill his mind and senses. In his head, he was no longer in the Ardennes Forest on this freezing Christmas Eve night, but in Berlin attending a classical music concert. The music washed over him and filled him, calming his nerves and leaving Eren in an almost peaceful state. It wasn’t unusual for him to do this trick. It was something he’d started when he was younger and wished he was anywhere other than his home. Eren had always wanted to travel, to see the world and get out of the tiny little German town he called home. It was almost ironic that, here he was, hundreds of miles away from home and having been all over Germany, France, and Russia and all Eren could think about was getting home. 

He shoved his hands in his pockets for extra warmth and his fingers came in contact with something that crinkled. Eren opened his eyes and looked down in confusion, pulling his hands out of his pockets to see brown on them. Hesitantly, he sniffed. Chocolate. When was there chocolate in his pockets?

But he remembered! Armin had knicked it from one of the other soldiers right before they had left, shaking what remained of it with Eren. They had had to move quickly from then on out and Eren had shoved the rest into his pocket, where he had forgotten about it. He grinned and pulled the smushed chocolate from his pocket. Surely smushed chocolate was just as good as pristine, right? Especially in these conditions. Feeling like a small child who had bought a present for their mother, Eren tossed the chocolate to Levi’s lap.

“Merry Christmas!” he said, joyfully. “Sorry I couldn’t wrap it.”

Levi picked up the chocolate and sniffled at it, looking at Eren in confusion. “Where the hell did you get this?”

“Found it in my pocket a second ago. Armin stole it from one of the people in our unit, and gave some to me. I stuffed it in my pocket and forgot about it. Since you shared the cigarettes with me, I’m sharing the chocolate with you.”

Levi nibbled on the chocolate and tossed it back to Eren. “You don’t get to keep all of it. But I’ll be nice and at least share it with you.”

Eren broke off a piece and returned the rest to Levi, chuckling under his breath. “Hell of a Christmas feast we’re having. Chocolate and cigarettes.”

“Don’t forget the stale crackers in your pack. Those can be our dessert.”

“... Hell of a way to spend a birthday too, I guess.”

Levi lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “I’ve had worse. By tomorrow, we’ll both be on our respective sides - I’ll be back with my commander and unit, and you’ll be … well, I assume you can’t just go back to your unit, could you?”

“God, no. I’ll just disappear. That’s what I’m planning, anyway.” Eren said. “Maybe I’ll be able to get back home. Not really certain right now. I just hope I can get there before someone captures me. It’s literally my worst fear to be taken prisoner for someone.”

“I’ll do what I can to make sure you’re free.” Levi promised. “I won’t let any harm come to you.”

“You’re oddly protective of a guy you just met a couple of days ago.” Eren mentioned, nibbling on a cracker he had pulled from the bag. “I mean, we’ve had to survive together and fight for our lives together, but that’s not exactly something that just makes two people best friends.”

“I’m naturally protective of people. If you’re under my charge, I’ll fight for you.” Levi mentioned, watching Eren almost warily. 

“At least you’re not having weird dreams about me.” Eren said, laughing at himself.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, it’s stupid. The other night … the night after we talked about our families. When I fell asleep, I had the weirdest dream. You were there, and we were talking, but it wasn’t us. We were dressed up like we were from … I don’t know, the seventeenth or eighteenth century? You had long hair and we were staying in this small inn - at least I think that's what it was. You had a funny accent, though.”

Levi was staring at him hard, his eyes wider than normal. He swallowed and closed his eyes, letting out a small huff of breath. “Sounds like something that is brought on from exhaustion. I’ve heard some strange dreams for people I’ve served with. The longer you work and the longer you go without sleep, the weirder your dreams are.”

“I guess so. It just seemed different. It didn’t feel like a dream. It almost felt like a memory?”

“Dreams can sometimes.”

“This was different. I can’t explain it.” There was something Levi wasn’t telling him, Eren knew. He couldn’t place his finger on it, or why this dream felt different. Still, the thought of it obviously bothered Levi (even if he wasn’t admitting it), so he let it go. “You mentioned you had a brother and sisters? Did you get along with them?”

“For the most part. They were almost nine and eight years older than me, so we had our differences and large age gaps. I was early and Mother had an insanely difficult labor with me. I was apparently so small I could almost fit in the palm of my Father’s hand - they kept me in a small box by the fire so I wouldn’t freeze. During the first couple of weeks, I mainly slept with my older brother, due to Mother being too weak to take care of me. As I grew, the girls took advantage of it and treated me like I was one of their dolls. They would dress me up in their clothes and carry me around everywhere, calling me girl names.” Levi chuckled and shook his head. “I wish we’d had pictures - I would love to see that.”

“I would too - your sisters sound like quite the characters.”

“They’re sweet. Because I was the baby, I tended to be a little more sheltered than the rest of the children. My father hunted, and taught my brother the trade as well … Jean eventually became a lawyer and moved to Paris.” Levi’s eyes were focused somewhere behind Eren’s head, but Eren had the feeling he wasn’t staring at anything particular. “Jean and I were close growing up. He taught me almost everything - how to shave, how to meet girls, pranks we could pull on our family. Taught me that responsibility was one of the most important things to a man, along with honor.” Levi sighed and looked down at his lap. “I miss him.”

“Is he gone?”

Levi nodded. “He’s been gone for many years now. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss him.”

“Was he killed during the war?”

“No, he died before it started. He was sick, very sick, for a long time. By the time he finally let someone take a look at him, he was filled with tumors, and he was in so much pain.” There was a visible shudder that ran through Levi and he looked weary. Far wearier and old for a person of his age. “He didn’t last much longer from there. I’m glad he isn’t in pain anymore, as much as I miss him.”

Eren flinched as Levi explained his story. “My mother has battled cancer. They’ve treated her as much as they can, but … well, there’s just not much they can do for her. Dad feels like a failure, being a doctor and unable to help her. She takes medicine for pain and goes about her day, but I know she hurts and it is only going to get worse. I don’t even know if she’s going to be alive when I get home.”

Levi sighed and tossed a stick of wood into the fire and sighed. “You’ll see her again, Eren. If I have to take you there myself, I’ll get you home.”

“You can’t promise me that. No one knows.”

“I am promising you that, and I do know.” Levi snapped. “I’m tired of hearing stories like this. If anyone deserves at least a somewhat happy ending, it’s you, Eren. You’re a good kid.” He grabbed the flask of water they’d been sharing and held it up. “Wish we could have something stronger, but this will have to do for now. We’ll just have to have something stronger after this war is over.”

“That is a great plan.” Eren smiled at him, receiving one in turn and he felt his heart flutter again. 

“To Jean LaMont, and Armin ..." Levi trailed off, looking to Eren.

"Arlert. Armin Arlert."

"To Jean LaMont and Armin Arlert, and to your mother.” Levi took a swig of the water and tossed it toward Eren, who caught it and took a drink himself. 

“To them.”

~

Christmas morning in the Ardennes Forest was, admittedly, one of the most beautiful Eren had ever witnessed. The snow clung to the trees in a way that almost seemed magical and Eren found himself wishing for home more and more. According to Levi, they had less than a day’s walk to the German line. Although this prospect was exciting, it was still intimidating. Eren would forever be on the run - just because he was back on his own side of the war didn’t mean that he was free. They’d come looking for him, that much was certain.

He hoped maybe they’d just chalk him up to ‘missing in action’ and not bother. It wasn’t like he was a wonderful asset anyway.

“Happy birthday,” Eren said, and Levi turned to look at him in surprise, one of his brows lifting under his helmet. 

“Thank you.”

“I’m sure you’ve had better birthdays.” 

Levi snorted. “I’ve had worse, believe me.”

“Worse than being trapped in the middle of a forest, where we could either be shot, captured, or freeze to death?”

“Even worse than that.” Levi looked amused, then chuckled, as though to himself. “I was very severely injured when I was younger, and it happened the night before my birthday. You can imagine it put a bit of a stifle on our Christmas Eve celebrations.”

“No kidding. What happened?”

“I got in over my head with something I had no business with.” Levi said. The tone of his voice told Eren he’d really rather not discuss it. “I came through that, and I have no doubt I’ll come through this on top as well.”

“I can’t wait to be in a warm bed. Or just in a place with four walls. I don’t think I can feel my feet anymore.”

“A warm shower would be fantastic.” Levi agreed, nodding his head. “And real food - not rabbits and small birds.” His eyes darted to Eren as he spoke. “Do you plan to go back, or are you going to try to go home?”

“I can’t go back.” Eren said. 

“Home, then?”

“As close as I can get without being caught, at least.”

“I wish you luck.” 

Eren smiled, turning his head to look at Levi. He knew they were coming close to the end of their journey together, and yet, there was a small part of him that didn’t want it to end. There was almost a bond between them - something that could only be gained by trudging through the forest together in below freezing temperatures, saving children from being buried alive, and occasionally fighting for their lives. 

“Is it weird to say that I’m going to miss you?”

An almost startled expression crossed Levi’s face and the other man blinked several times, as though he was having trouble processing what Eren had just said. He let out a small ‘tch’. “Miss me? I’m technically your captor.”

“But you aren’t. You haven’t harmed me, and you've done nothing but help me since the start of this.”

“I suppose so …In a way, I suppose I’ll miss you as well.”

“You suppose?”

“Well, you were a little shit in the beginning.”

“You tied me up and took me hostage! What was I supposed to think?” Eren cried, throwing his hands up in frustration. “I thought you were going to dig my own grave.”

“I assume this is why you hit me over the head with a shovel?” Levi looked amused. 

“You know that’s why I did it!”

The laughter finally escaped Levi - an oddly pleasant sound - and he cackled into the silent forest. “Oh God, the look on your face when you figured out I could speak German. That I had heard every insult you’d thrown at me, and every name you’d called me. I wish I could photograph that look. I will take it with me to my grave.”

“Keep talking, and you’ll reach that grave a lot sooner.” Eren said, grumbling. 

“You’d miss me too much to kill me.”

There was a crunch ahead of them that caused Levi’s laughter to die instantly, and both stopped dead in their tracks as two figures bumbled out of the bushes. Eren felt Levi tense beside him as they both recognized the uniforms of the two soldiers - Americans. Beside him, Eren heard Levi mutter something in French under his breath. 

The two men looked up, finally noticing Eren and Levi in front of them. Upon realizing Eren’s uniform, they both raised their rifles, yelling at them in words Eren didn’t understand. Levi raised his hands, calling back to the soldiers. 

“Calm down! There’s nothing here that you need to be involved in.” Levi said, and although Eren couldn’t understand what he was saying, he prayed it would be influential. If he could just convince the two that Eren was his prisoner like he had done with the Americans before … 

They called back and forth, and the conversation slowly became more and more tense, with Levi’s eyes darting between Eren and the soldiers every few seconds. This wasn’t going well, Eren could tell. The soldiers were young, probably inexperienced, and still high off the thought of war. Dangerous combinations.

There was a cry from Levi and a blurred movement before Eren even heard the shot ring out. He looked down, taking a deep shaky breath and a prayer of thanks before he felt the pain. The blood was slowly seeping into his shirt, staining the brown on his uniform. He grasp his chest on instinct, his eyes looking up to meet Levi’s, which were wide with fear.

Levi moved instantly, and Eren heard a sound reminiscent of the ‘growl’ Levi had made at the farmer. It was louder this time, more terrifying and Eren heard what he swore were the sound of screams as his vision began to go fuzzy. He could feel nothing but the pain that was quickly beginning to take over his body. He opened his eyes to Levi hovering over him, looking desperate and frantic.

“No, no, no.” Levi was muttering. “You can’t do this to me again, Eren. I swear to God, if you die on me right now …”

Eren couldn’t focus on Levi’s words any long - it didn’t really matter either way. Levi’s words were starting to turn into French and Eren couldn’t have understood them anyway. He felt arms beneath his back, and with more strength than Eren realized he had, Levi lifted him and began to carry him, though Eren wasn’t certain toward what. 

“Just leave me.” he muttered, his head lolling against Levi’s chest. “It isn’t worth the energy or effort …”

“Talking isn’t worth the energy and effort, either.” Levi snapped. “Just shut up, let me do this, and don’t you dare die on me.”

It was the last thing Eren heard. 

~

Eren woke to excruciating pain - far worse than anything he’d ever felt before. His first gasp of breath was dry and he croaked out a question, which was answered by no one. Turning his head side to side, Eren found he was obviously in some sort of recovery room, and the stitches on his chest confirmed this theory. 

“Hello?” he called out, horsely. He didn’t know if anyone would even bother with him. This looked nothing like the German hospitals he’d seen in the past. Levi must have brought him back to the British, which meant one thing …

He was going to be a prisoner of war.

The first instinct that ran through Eren’s mind was to run, but the pain and the straps around Eren’s wrists and ankles kept him in place. He looked around wildly, feeling like a trapped animal in a cage. He supposed he was. 

The door to the room creaked open, and a blonde nurse entered the room. She cast a look at his chart briefly, then gently laid it on the counter and turned to smile at him. Although she spoke in phrases Eren didn’t understand, he could tell her intentions were good - the tone of her voice was comforting. He nodded as though he could understand her, but shied away as her hands moved toward him. 

The nurse frowned. She asked something again, and when Eren didn’t respond, she left the room. Moments later, the door creaked open again, and Levi’s head poked through. “Hello, Eren.” He said, his eyes focused on Eren’s body. 

He struggled slightly against his bounds. “Why am I tied down? I thought I was d… what happened?”

Levi said nothing, and just stared at him for a moment, an almost sad look passing over his face. “I saved you” he said, almost too quietly for Eren to hear him. “I shouldn’t have. I’ve made you a prisoner of war - something you’re terrified of, because I’m selfish. I didn’t want to lose you. I didn’t want you to die.”

Eren swallowed. “I appreciate that. I really, honestly do.” He took a deep breath, unsurprised to find it was shaky. “What’s going to happen to me now?”

“You’ll be transferred to another hospital while you recover. You almost didn’t make it, Eren.” 

“I almost wish I hadn’t.”

“I promised I would get you home. I didn’t want that to be in a casket.”

“What about you? You’ll go back to being captain or whatever?”

“I've moved up in rank, actually, as of yesterday. Our former was killed in action during the battle.” Levi’s eyes looked tired, and he sighed. “This has been a long fucking week.”

“I’m sorry.” Eren didn’t really know what to say to that. “I know what it’s like to lose a friend.”

Levi’s eyes snapped toward Eren’s at his comment, and he began to feel a slight tug - a pull - in Levi’s gaze. Eren stared at him intently, trying to beg him telepathically to let him go. Just let him run away. Yet the very thought was absurd. There was no way he could run, not in his condition. Eren shook, wishing he could reach up and at least wipe the tears away from his eyes.

Levi moved toward his bed and reached to take his hand, squeezing Eren’s with his own. His fingers were cold around Eren’s palm, and he involuntarily shivered. “I just wanted to say goodbye.” Levi said, his voice still quiet. “After this moment, we will probably never see one another again. We’re supposed to be enemies, but we’re not. We’re just two people caught in a war we don’t care about and want nothing to do with. Two people who are just desperately trying to get home. I’ve lost too many that I care about without having them know that I cared - I won’t let that happen with you. So thank you. Thank you for helping me.”

He squeezed Eren’s hand again and stared at him intently for a second longer. Eren’s eyes met Levi’s and for a moment, there was nothing else other than the two of them in this world. ‘Oh hell’, Eren thought. ‘He really is quite attractive …’

The moment lasted for only seconds before Levi untangled his hand from Eren’s and, without saying a word, moved toward the door and quietly shut it behind him.


	14. AUTHOR'S NOTE: IMPORTANT

Hello everyone!

I want to thank everyone for being so, so patient with Jennifer and I when it comes to this story. I wanted to give everyone a heads-up that this is *not* abandoned, and is coming off hiatus! We've hit a few kinks in the story, but they've all been worked out. Life kind of got in the way again (computers dying, relationships ending, a surprise in-patient month long hospital stay for myself, and being out of a job for almost five months), and it's taken us just about until now to put it all back in working order again.

That being said, I started writing the first sentences of Modern Day Eren/Levi last night, and if I keep to my schedule, it will be out by the end of April (if not sooner). Please note that I've started a new job, and that makes my writing time diminish just a little, but I will make it work.

Thank you to each and every one of you who have stuck by this story, no matter what. You guys are seriously the greatest :) In the meantime, why don't you get your friends to read it? They'll be all caught up by the time the new chapter is released! 

*waves* I'll see you guys again in April with 2016 Eren Jaeger and his small family, and a couple hundred year old vampire.

Erin/Sphynx


	15. STORY BEING REWRITTEN. PLEASE READ

Hello everyone! Some of you might have noticed an update in your author alerts, telling you this story and another titled the exact same way, have been updated. This is not an error. We have decided to completely start this story from scratch. The main reasons being is, in the three years since SCTL began, we have made many changes to our mythos - many of which change the story quite dramatically. Our writing has improved and we want to show that off. I had so much more story to tell for the 1700’s and just didn’t. These won’t be mistakes we make this time around.

The main reason for the change? No more Eruri. That’s right - we’re completely cutting it out. For those of you who loved the story, but felt ripped because of your NOTP, can now have a complete fic :) (You now get to have some 1800’s Ereri, and who doesn’t want *THAT*?) We hope this allows more readers in the long run! I know this might be disappointing to some of you, but trust us. This is going to be for the benefit of the story. We’re very excited about it and we hope you are too.

You can find the new SCTL here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/7153220/chapters/16240493  
Leave us a review (on the new one) - tell us what you think!

~ Sphynx and Jenforthewin


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